In the last 5 years, Ayurveda gained traction across the world. Walking through London you will see luxury Ayurveda shops cropping up, packed with crowds. Luxury Ayurveda brands are rising across the world.

The global Ayurvedic market experienced significant growth since 2022 and is expected to continue this trend in the next 10 years – with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of over 15%. This means the Ayurvedic market is expected to grow from $9 billion worth to almost $30 billion worth, in just a few years.

It’s probably reasonable to pin the cause of this growth on a post-pandemic health approach taken by millions – natural herbal treatments – but the urge for more natural alternative treatments has been growing for decades before the pandemic too.

Let’s have a look at the global market of Ayurveda

As the global interest in natural remedies grew, Ayurveda scooped up market share when it had an arsenal of relevant natural remedies ready for consumers as alternative to conventional synthetic medicine.

Ayurveda was also ready with more than medicine – Ayurveda had an array of ingredients revered for skincare and haircare like turmeric, aloe vera, and neem – and this gained popularity in the personal care industry very quickly due to the perceived effectiveness and safety of these ingredients.

Ayurveda is able to provide holistic answers to nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, where it is experiencing the strongest current growth. Think of Ashwagandha, an unknown word until relatively recently, is now a common term in nearly any gymnasium.

What helped the Ayurvedic market grow is the globalization of Ayurvedic brands – eCommerce channels made it possible for new brands from India to enter Western markets with ease. Many international brands are adjusting products to incorporate Ayurvedic principles and ingredients into their product lines. In South Africa, you’ll notice the packaging of Vicks cough syrup includes a reference to Ayurveda, and the packaging is adjusted to reflect “Holy Basil” as a key ingredient.

What are the prospects of Ayurveda in Africa?

In Africa, however, Ayurveda competes with indigenous African herbalism, the dominant herbal approach of the continent. Of course in South Africa, there is an abundance of hugely successful brands utilising African Herbalism and indigenous herbs and minerals – from medicine to popular and respected cosmetics/skincare brands like Kalahari.

What will likely continue to drive the market growth of Ayurveda is simply awareness – knowing it exists. It appears that the global consumer market is ready for Ayurveda.