Reformulating Under Pressure: What Sugar Taxes Mean for Product Development in Africa

Sugar reduction is often spoken about as though it is a simple swap: remove sugar, add a sweetener, and the job is done.

In reality, product development is far more complex.

For food technologists, sugar is one of the most useful ingredients in formulation, and one of the most difficult to remove. It does not only provide sweetness. It also contributes body, mouthfeel, preservation, acidity balance, flavour rounding, fermentation support and freezing-point control. When sugar is reduced, all of these functions need to be rebuilt in a way that still delivers a product consumers want to buy.

This was one of the key themes discussed during a recent AKA Foods webinar attended by our R&D Director, Chris Botha. The discussion focused on the real-world trade-offs between nutrition, affordability, compliance and product success, with practical examples from teams working directly in innovation and product development.

At TDC, these trade-offs are not theoretical. They shape the way we approach product development across different African markets.

The pressure on sugar is increasing

Across the region, sugar tax and sugar-content regulations are becoming an important consideration for beverage and food manufacturers.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mauritius each present a different formulation challenge.

For South Africa, the Health Promotion Levy creates a clear reformulation target. Products are taxed based on sugar content above a defined threshold, which means reducing sugar is not only a nutritional objective, but also a commercial and compliance consideration.

For Zimbabwe, the situation is different. According to Chris’s speech, Zimbabwe’s sugar surtax design creates a more complex challenge because sweeteners may be treated as sugar for tax purposes. This reduces the incentive to simply replace sugar with high-intensity sweeteners and places more focus on developing genuinely less-sweet products.

Malawi presents another reality. Chris noted that Malawi does not currently impose a sugar-content tax in the same way as South Africa or Zimbabwe, but the country’s strong domestic sugar industry means that sugar reduction is influenced by broader economic and agricultural considerations.

Mauritius is also becoming increasingly relevant. The Mauritius Revenue Authority states that excise duty is already levied on sugar content in non-alcoholic sugar-sweetened beverages, and current 2026/27 budget information shows that the sugar-content excise duty increased from 12 cents to 15 cents per gram of sugar from 20 June 2026. (Article: https://www.mra.mu/customs1/more-topics/excise-tax-on-sugar-content-of-sugar-sweetened-non-alcoholic-beverages?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Why sugar reduction is a redesign, not a subtraction

When sugar is reduced, the product changes.

• Sweetness changes.

• Mouthfeel changes.

• Flavour balance changes.

• Texture changes.

• Cost changes.

• Consumer perception changes.

That is why successful sugar reduction requires a full product redesign.

High-intensity sweeteners can help rebuild sweetness, but they often bring their own challenges, including bitterness, metallic notes or lingering aftertastes. Fibres, polyols and rare sugars can help rebuild body and texture, but they may increase cost or affect processing. Acid and flavour systems often need to be rebalanced because reducing sugar changes the way the entire product is perceived.

The challenge is not only to make a product lower in sugar. The challenge is to make it lower in sugar while still being enjoyable, affordable, compliant and commercially viable.

What this means for TDC product development

At TDC, sugar reduction needs to be approached market by market.

A formulation that works in South Africa may not be suitable for Zimbabwe. A product developed for Malawi may need to be adapted if it is exported into a sugar-tax market. A product destined for Mauritius must now also consider sugar-content excise implications.

This means our development teams need to think beyond the recipe.

We need to consider:

• regulatory requirements by market

• sugar thresholds and tax exposure

• ingredient permissions and usage levels

• cost impact of sweetener systems

• consumer acceptance

• mouthfeel and flavour balance

• label perception

• export market readiness

This is where technical formulation and regulatory awareness need to work together.

Reformulating before the pressure arrives

One of the strongest messages from the discussion is that reformulation should not only happen when legislation forces it.

Companies that begin sugar-reduction work early are better prepared when regulations change. They have already tested sweetener blends, solved mouthfeel challenges, validated consumer acceptance and understood cost implications.

In other words, we are not redesigning under pressure. We are innovating ahead of it.

The TDC approach

For us, successful product development means finding the balance between science, compliance, commercial reality and consumer experience.

Sugar reduction is not about compromise. It is about intelligent reformulation.

It requires technical expertise, practical ingredient knowledge and a clear understanding of the markets where the product will be sold.

As sugar tax and nutrition-related regulations continue to evolve across Africa, the role of R&D becomes even more important. Our job is to help create products that meet changing regulatory expectations while still delivering the taste, texture, affordability and quality consumers expect.

Because in product development, the question is not only whether sugar can be reduced.

The real question is whether the product still works.