Product Substitutes
Most products we know in South Africa are available in Germany, but unfortunately not all of them.Â
Here is a list of product substitutes for some of them. Â
I you would like more information about where to buy South African products in Germany, see our Products we love page.
Food related products
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 and Hardware 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 | |
| Pratley Putty | You can find Pratley Putty in Germany, esle look for Pattex Powerknete | Montagekleber UHU Repair All can also be used. Epoxy putty is also similar. Found in most hardware stores |
Medicinal Products
Health product substitutes
Health product substitutes Moving between countries can be tricky, especially when you can’t find your go-to remedies.We’ve put together a simple guide to help you identify German equivalents for common South African health products. Disclaimer We are not medical professionals and do not provide medical advice.While we work with a qualified pharmacist who
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
Beds, Mattresses and Duvets The sleeping arrangements in Germany are 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
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Back home, you know exactly in what shop to look for specific items, where to find quality products and what shops have cheaper options.We tried to make a comparison of SA and German shops in the list below. You welcome to send us your suggestions via or Contact us page Related content
Products we love
Products we love We all miss familiar products we loved in South Africa. Some of these you can buy here in Germany, and for some, you will have to find a suitable substitute. Grocery Items The following shops sell South African Food/Grocery items Search our market place You can use the search function on our Listings (Market place) page to search by name, product or location.  Red espresso can be bought at http://de.redespresso.com/ South African wines SA Wines
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