Township shoppers feeling that Kasi convenience
Many township consumers do not always have access to transport, so successful brands ensure that consumers have easy access to products, whether it is in a formal retailer or at an informal Spaza shop down the road. Most Kasi consumers move in and out of developed and developing economies on a regular basis.
Kasi Star Brands understand the township/Kasi market and make sure that products are available in the city where many Kasi consumers work, and are also available where the consumer lives. Kasi consumers usually do bulk shopping on Saturdays or month end, and since many are unbanked, they prefer to use cash.
A formal retailer like Game catered for this when they introduced groceries to their product range. Spaza shop owners are also important to Kasi Star Brands. They help make brands and products available to the Kasi consumers at a convenient time and when it is necessary to top up. In the informal economy 80% of spaza shops are foreign owned often with different family members working different shifts, they are convenient for Kasi consumers with closing hours between 6pm and 9pm. They are often involved in group buying schemes and offer products within the informal market at good prices and they offer credit.
The brands that are successful in the Kasi market understand that products must be sold at an affordable price. Special prices and promotions in shops in the formal economy, like Shoprite, are very important, especially around pay day.
"It is important to sell products in many forms, so that the Kasi consumer is able to do a lot more with them. Different pack sizes will cater for different income groups and needs. Kasi Star Brands understand the practical requirements of products that must link up with Kasi living, for example packaging that will not tear or break while being used at home. Any brand or product must be of high quality to make the best of every meal and occasion," says Sarina de Beer, MD of Ask Afrika.
The consumer's money needs to work for them and it is important for brand owners to understand how to deliver the best ROI. Marketers need to understand the complex levels of planning, calculated living in the township environment, where purchase decisions are often less impulsive and spontaneous.
Ask Afrika interviewed a total of 6,763 Kasi consumers, and the Kasi Star Brands survey represents the views of 9,694,666 million Kasi consumers living in South Africa. It represents 73% of the overall South African township population. Face-to-face interviews were done within Kasi-households. To make sure everything is correct an external company BDO and Dr Neethling audited the results. In this year's survey 24 Kasi Star Brands were identified, followed by winners across 163 product categories. These are the brands and products you are most likely to find in a South-African Kasi-household.
