Bars and pubs in South Africa: 15,000+
Dashmote counts 15,000+ bars and pubs in South Africa, 13% of the country's on-premise outlets. Open bars, pubs and night venues (venues whose main public listing category is a drinking place).
Johannesburg has the most bars and pubs in South Africa
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Durban
- Cape Town
How this channel compares
South Africa is in the top third for the share of outlets that are bars and pubs
Share of all open on-premise outlets that are bars and pubs, by country: the top five and South Africa
Bars and pubs rank third for the number of outlets among outlet types in South Africa
Open on-premise outlets by type in South Africa, ranked
By metro area
| Metro area | Share |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg area | 14% |
| Cape Town area | 5% |
| Durban area | 5% |
| Pretoria area | 5% |
| Rest of South Africa | 71% |
The Cape Town area holds a slightly smaller share of bars and pubs than of all outlets
Each metro area's share of bars and pubs (bar) against its share of all outlets in South Africa (tick)
Outlet profile
| Measure | Bars and pubs | All outlets in South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | >99% | 90% |
| Listed on a delivery app | 1% | 10% |
| Website listed | 9% | 30% |
| 100+ public reviews | 8% | 17% |
Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts linked where public.
What the numbers show
No single metro area dominates: the largest, the Johannesburg area, holds 14% of the bars and pubs in South Africa.
Most of the channel sits outside the 4 largest metro areas: 71% of the bars and pubs in South Africa are elsewhere.
Bars and pubs are a bigger part of the market in South Africa than in most countries: 13% of all outlets, against a median of 10%.
Of the 4 outlet types with a page in South Africa, bars and pubs have the lowest share of outlets on a delivery app: 1%.
Bars and pubs in South Africa are far less likely to list a website than outlets across South Africa: 9% against 30%.
How the numbers are defined
- Bars and pubs
- Open bars, pubs and night venues (venues whose main public listing category is a drinking place). Approximate. Permanently closed and temporarily closed venues excluded.
Put these numbers to work
Plan regional coverage
With 71% of the bars and pubs outside the largest metro areas, regional reps or distributor partners reach more of the channel than city teams alone.
Frequently asked questions
How many bars and pubs are there in South Africa?
Dashmote counts 15,000+ bars and pubs in South Africa, 13% of the country's on-premise outlets.