Awareness of purchasing halal food among non-Muslim consumers

Purpose: 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. Design/methodology/approach: 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. Findings: 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. Research limitations/implications: 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. Originality/value: 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.