Skin cancer ranks as South Africa’s most common form of the disease, with the country also suffering the second highest incidence globally after Australia, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation of South Africa. Research such as this is driving sales of sunscreen products.
The Cancer Association of South Africa’s (CANSA) Head of Marketing and Communication, Lucy Balona, says that, annually, 20,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed and 700 people die from the disease across the country.
The country’s racial mix shows a diverse population, with Caradee Yael Wright, Specialist Scientist (Public Health) at the South African Medical Research Council noting that it consists of