Improving the marketing of goat meat to youths in South Africa

Trends in the global market have shown an increase in the demand for goat meat. Literature suggests this trend is driven by older generations as this meat type has not appealed to the youths. Numerous explanations contend that the youths’ perceptions of the product attributes explain this behaviour but scanty information has been availed on how such information can be used to craft practical strategies to stimulate a similar increase in demand. This study used principal component analysis to investigate the dominant perceptions that youths in South Africa hold about goat meat and offers recommendations on the type of market strategies that could assist in improving the positioning of the product. It found that the youths surveyed for the study had negative perceptions of the meat's quality but appreciate the product's ability to assist in addressing the environmental, social, animal rights and particularly health concerns associated with red meat consumption and its production. The study recommends that marketing strategies should be built around the confirmed positive perceptions while product innovation and consumer education should be used to address the concerns fuelling the negative perceptions.