Korean skincare, cuisine, music, fashion and entertainment have undoubtedly grown over the past few years globally. While it could be argued that South Africa has been slower than other parts of the world to catch on, K-wave has hit South Africa.

An article that tracked Google searches over the past few years to assess the rising interest in K-drama among South Africans revealed that the number of people googling “Korean dramas” has continued to steadily grow, demonstrating our deepening appetite for Korean content.

A shift from the West to the East

Elouise Kelly is the Country Head at Viu South Africa says that the official arrival of the K-wave in South Africa can only be a good thing.

“As with other markets considered to be ‘developing’, the West continues to dominate in terms of influencing the fashion, music, and entertainment trends within these regions.

“We’re now starting to see a shift in this paradigm, with a growing awareness that innovation can come from anywhere – it doesn’t only have to emerge from the US, Europe or Great Britain.

She adds that while not everyone has the means to travel and experience the different cultures that allow you to broaden your horizons, from an entertainment perspective, there is so much exciting material coming from emerging markets.

“We want to encourage people to experiment with consuming content from different regions.

“Diversity brings richness and connection – the more we can access and tap into the different stories from around the word, the closer it brings us as a global citizenship.”

K-ontent

In 2019 Viu, a South East Asian over-the-top (OTT) streaming provider that built its following on the back of Korean content, entered South Africa.

It has since grown a significant base of monthly active users, thanks to its affordable subscriber video on demand (SVOD) and advertising video on demand (AVOD) dual model that has been met with open arms by cash-conscious South Africans.

Kelly says while South African content on Viu remains highly popular, its Korean content vertical is making massive strides in local audience interest growth.

“A few factors are driving the skyrocketing popularity of K-dramas: the imaginative scriptwriting, he attractive cast, and the complex and fantastical storytelling.

“This has allowed it to cut across multiple markets and cultures.

“Furthermore,” she says, “the popularity of shows such as Squid Game, Narcos and Griselda indicate that people are becoming increasingly comfortable with consuming content in its native language, with the help of dubbing or subtitles.”

SA the top market for K-pop

On the music front, local interest in K-pop has also spiked.

According to Spotify, the streaming of K-pop artists such as BTS, Blackpink, Ateez and Stray Kids saw a massive 93% year-on-year increase in South Africa in 2022 and has continued to grow since, cementing the country’s position as the top market for K-pop in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“It's clear from this data that K-Pop is not just a passing phase but has a devoted and growing African fandom, said Phiona Okumu, head of music at Spotify for sub-Saharan Africa.

"Streaming has become instrumental in not only enabling the discovery of African music abroad but also in exposing African listeners to new and unexpected sounds.”

K-beauty linked to glass skin trend

When it comes to our looks, South Africans are also looking East.

K-beauty, linked to the massive glass skin trend that swept social media in 2017, has taken hold across South Africa, with Korean brands such as Glow Theory, Eborian and SK-II popping up on the shelves of local retailers.

According to Statistics SA, just under one-quarter of South African respondents in a global survey said that K-beauty was very popular locally, while 30% of respondents in another study attributed the popularity of K-beauty products in South Africa to their quality and efficacy.

K-devices and more

Korean tech remains popular in SA, with Samsung and LG Electronics two of the top Korean investors in the country.

Its cuisine is also in high demand, as Korean street food eateries and Galbi (Korean barbeque) pop up all over the country.

The close relationship between South Africa and Republic of Korea (Korea) Korea (the two countries have enjoyed over 30 years of good diplomatic relations), SA is Korea’s biggest trading partner in Africa, while Korea is South Africa’s fourth largest trading partner in Asia.