More South Africans have looked to add boreholes and solar energy to their homes in 2022, with an increase of 71% and 60% respectively from the year before.
There has also been an increase in requests for pet sitters and driving instructors, reveals new data from kandua.com, an online marketplace for home services.
Ongoing load shedding and water supply issues are prompting a growing number of homeowners to seek out ways to reduce their reliance on municipal services and secure their energy and water supply, or embrace renewable resources, says Ally Nezar, kandua.com’s head of growth.
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“It has been interesting to see how the demand has fluctuated across different types of services, especially during and post-Covid. October 2022 has been our best month over the past year: the market is stabilising and more people are using online tools to shop for goods and services,” she adds.
Exploring the trends
During 2020 and 2021, home upgrade services were in high demand – largely exacerbated by the fact that South Africans were confined to their homes due to ongoing lockdowns, travel restrictions and remote working arrangements. Without the usual outlets for entertainment and creative fulfilment, many homeowners turned their attention to their home renovation wish lists.
Nezar says services such as upgrading outdoor decking, irrigation systems, window blinds, wallpaper installations, tree felling, granite, thatching, laminate flooring, and fencing are usually only needed once every few years, but during the lockdown period, homeowners took the opportunity to invest in these large-scale home upgrades.
“Now, with the job done, they are turning their attention back to pre-pandemic activities and to boosting load shedding resilience.
“When it comes to large-scale upgrades, the most popular area of the home is always the kitchen. This is the one area where there are no signs of slowing demand, with requests for kitchen specialists up by 54%.
“We’ve also seen an increased demand for pet sitters, up by 60%, driving instructors, up by 41% and tailors, where demand has gone up by 10%. This is undoubtedly related to the fact that many workers have returned to the office, even if that is only on some days,” she says.
Increased online shopping can benefit service SMEs
Homeowners are increasingly looking online to find service providers for their regular home maintenance and repair needs. This is evidenced by the increase in requests posted for garden services (+25%), electricians (+39%), handymen (+36%), mechanics (+55%), specialist cleaners (+42%) and TV repairers (+65%).
The pandemic, Nezar says, accelerated many digital trends, and this is no different in the home services sector.
“Maintenance and repair are always needed, and many people prefer the personalised service and affordability of small businesses but are not sure how to find providers they can trust. This is why every service provider on kandua.com has verified reviews from previous customers, and you can compare quotes and pros to choose the person who best suits your needs.”
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