Many South Africans feel brands still don’t understand them, even as online shopping becomes part of daily life. Connectivity has grown, but empathy hasn’t always kept pace. For marketers, that’s a defining challenge in a country where digital convenience must meet local realities.
At the IMC Conference, The Lead Creative host Mongezi Mtati spoke with Stacey Jayne Saggers, Commercial Growth Director at Kantar, about what the latest Mzansi Consumer Barometer reveals about this new era of commerce.
Saggers explains how WhatsApp facilitates e-commerce transactions in South Africa, creating a uniquely personal form of engagement that large retailers often struggle to match. She also highlights Takealot’s partnership with the Gauteng Government, which has trained more than 3,500 township-based “personal shoppers,” bringing digital access and trust closer to local consumers.
For brands, this conversation underscores how innovation now flows upward from communities to corporations, not the other way around.
Look out for:
- What the Kantar Mzansi Consumer Barometer says about shifting consumer sentiment
- How WhatsApp enables e-commerce and micro-transactions
- The rise of township shoppers is driving South Africa’s online growth
- What brands must do to stay relevant in a rapidly changing digital economy
Watch the full conversation below:
This IMC Conference podcast series was captured and edited by the Soweto Media team.
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