South Africa’s $4bn beauty market is fast becoming a key battleground for retailers grappling with a sluggish economy, weak consumer confidence, and intensifying competition. Once relegated to drugstores and niche outlets, beauty and personal-care products are now front and center. High-end department stores, value clothing chains, and even supermarkets are dedicating more shelf space for makeup, skin and hair care, and fragrances. The shift reflects a broader push by retailers to launch private labels, expand international brand offerings, and capture a category that promises growth when others stall. Woolworths has rolled out beauty halls in major stores, pairing luxury brands such as La Mer and Chanel with its own ranges and backing that with local manufacturing. Revenue from the division has more than doubled to over ZAR1bn ($61mn) in the past two years.