The purpose of this paper is to identify and investigate the awareness level of non-Muslim consumers to purchasing halal food products. Research on the non-Muslim consumers’ awareness towards purchasing halal food products is poorly understood so far in South Africa.
An exploratory case study was adopted to explore new points of views about a particular issue, which is unknown, or not much known about it, to formulate ideas or propositions. Semi-structured interviews were the major primary data collection method. Four non-Muslim consumers from different settings purposively were selected. Thematic data analysis procedures were used.
The study found that non-Muslim consumers in Cape Town have a positive awareness of halal food, including its benefits and the production processes involved in producing it. The study also concluded that halal is not merely a commercial name using as a trademark in the global market. However, halal has several dimensions; primarily, for non-Muslim consumers, it is a mark of health and hygiene. With regard to psychological aspect, halal is considered as a sign of trust, comfortable and safe. It gives consumers a peace of mind when they consume food products that carry the halal label.
Limitations in the study should be acknowledged. The main limitation of the study is that a small sample size was selected for this study. Another limitation is that the study was only conducted in the city of Cape Town.
This is the first qualitative study of its kind that presents an empirical evidence about the awareness of the non-Muslim consumers towards purchasing halal food products in South Africa, in general, and in Cape Town, in particular.
