Product Substitutes

Most products we know in South Africa are available in Germany, but unfortunately not all of them.
Here is a list of product substitutes for some of them.
I you would like more information about where to buy South African products in Germany, see our Products we love page.

Food related products

Meat

German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.Below is a explanation of the

Substitutes – Drinks

Looking for Milo, Horlicks, Frisco, Ricoffy or Lime Cordial? We compiled a searchable list of substitutes for some of the popular hot and cold drinks

Substitutes – Other Products

Here is a list of substitutes and translations for general food and kitchen items like cling film, maize meal, custard and biscuits Related content

Frozen products

Here is a list of suggestions for ready-made pasty (dough) products and some translations. Related content Inspiration

Baking ingredients

For all of the passionate bakers out there! We have thoughtfully compiled a comprehensive list of alternative ingredient options that can be used for baking

Types of Sugars

Here is a list of suggestions for types of sugars, as well as some translations. Related content

Dairy substitutes

Here is a list of suggestions for dairy products, as well as some translations. You can also read more on Rewe’s site Related content

Spices and Herbs

Here is a list of the most common spices and herbs with their Afrikaans, English and German names Spices Afrikaans English German Borrie Turmeric die

General household items

South African Product	Substitute suggestion	Additional Info
JIK	Try Danklorix	Active ingredient for JIK is: Sodium Hypochlorite 3.5% m/v when packed. Other Ingredients: Water, Fragrance.
Aqueous Cream	CeraVe Feuchtigkeitscreme Eucerin Original Healing Cream	You can buy online
Sugar Soap	Anlauger & Entfetter
Handy Andy cleaning cream	Scheuermilch – available in most shops. a popular brand is Viss	HANDY ANDY CONTAINS AMONGST OTHER INGREDIENTS Less than 5% Non ionic surfactants 5%- 8% Anionic surfactants 7%- 15% Abrasive agent
Dettol or Savlon	The Sagrotan brand is a very good substitute and available in most shops	There is unfortunately no subsittute for the Dettol in a bottel, you can only get sprays. Some suggests Betaisodona Lösung. You can also look in Asian/ African Shops
Sunlight soap bar	1. Kernseife Widely available in German supermarkets (e.g., DM, Rossmann, or Müller). A traditional, multi-purpose soap made from natural fats or oils. Common brands include Haka and Sonett. 2. Dr. Bronner’s Castile Bar Soap A versatile and eco-friendly soap available in organic stores or online. While it’s not specifically green, it shares the natural cleaning properties of Sunlight Soap. 3. Frosch Soap Bar Part of the eco-friendly Frosch cleaning product line. Often marketed for household cleaning and skin-friendly use. 4. Gallseife (Gall Soap) Similar in cleaning power to Sunlight Soap but specifically designed for stain removal in laundry. Contains natural bile extract, which helps break down grease and stubborn stains.	If you’re seeking something with the same versatility and green color, Kernseife is your closest match in Germany, though you might not find an exact duplicate of Sunlight Soap. Where to Buy: Drugstores: DM, Rossmann, Müller. Supermarkets: Edeka, Rewe, or Kaufland. Eco Shops: Alnatura, Bio Company, or online platforms like Amazon or Greenweez.
Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid	Fairy and Pril works pretty good	Ingredients: Anionic detergents, solubilisers, colourants and perfume.
Mr Min Mulit surface cleaner	Pronto Möbel-Spray or Poliboy	Both Pronto and Poliboy makes a range of furniture sprays and cleaners. Make sure you get the correct product for example multi purpose or only for wood

Stationery Items

South African Product	Substitute Suggestion or Translation	Additional Information
Sellotape or Adhesive Tape	Klebeband is the collective name for all kinds of Tape, and you can specify the width for most. Klebeband Transparent is what we know as Sellotape.	Tesa is a well know brand and people will sometimes refer to it as Tesafilm
Duct Tape	Universalklebeband, Panzerband oder Industrieklebeband
Packing Tape – the brown tape you use to seal boxes or packages	Das Paketklebeband
Prestik or Adhesive Putty	Die Klebemasse or die Klebeknete

Medicinal Products

Health product substitutes

We are not medical professionals and cannot give any medical advice. We do however have contact with a qualified Pharmacist who offered to answer questions you might have about substitutes for South African health products. We cannot give any information about prescription medication. We have listed some suggestions for over the counter items.

Bed linen

Most Germans sleep under their own single duvet, even on a “double” bed. The usual arrangement is a bed with two mattresses and each person sleeping under their own duvet.
To buy queen or king-size linen and duvets, look online.
If you brought your own pillows from SA, look on online shops in the UK like Amazon.co.uk. They deliver in Germany.
Some shops in Germany like Wayfair, Ikea and Home24 will have the correct sizes but you will have a limited selection.

See Beds, Mattresses and Duvets below for standard pillow sizes and other information

Beds, Mattresses and Duvets

The sleeping arrangements in Germany is a bit different from what we are used to in South Africa. The average German couple sleeps on a bed base with two single mattresses and each with their own duvet.Some would argue for this but I would at least want to share a duvet with my partner.I vacuum packed all my queen size duvets and brought them with me to Germany together with