Roots 2010 offers window on Afrikaans purchasing power

Roots 2010, the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) and Caxton/CTP's recent urban retail and readership consumer research survey, revealed some facts about Afrikaans speaking Purchase Decision Makers (PDMs).

Afrikaans speakers insight

• Second biggest group - 27.7% of the total sample of 23 000 PDMs surveyed in 100 areas across the country
• Made up of mostly white and coloured households
• Middle and high-income earners with a high LSM status (close to 50% LSM 9 and 10)
• Households - 30% earn between R12 000 and R24 999 household income a month (34% of English speakers) while 18% of them earn more than R25 000 plus household income a month (24% English speakers). Zulu households - 19% earn between R12 000 and R24 999 household income a month and 6% more than R25 000 plus, while 14% of Xhosa households earn between R12 000 and R24 999 household income a month and 5% more than R25 000 plus.

Expenditure

Although the market has experienced its worst recession in decades, the survey has identified that over the past 12 months Afrikaans-speaking PDMs are still spending.

"This market tends to be above average in its support of the services industry, particularly the financial industries. Life insurance, medical aid and car insurance are high on their priority list. Over one third of car instalments and home security contributions come from this language group. Clearly, they are serious about security financially and emotionally," says John Bowles, Joint MD of NAB.

• Repairs and maintenance of gardens 15%;
• Repairs or maintenance of homes 12%;
• Bought or built a new house 1%;
• Changed homeowners' insurance 1%;
• Stayed in a hotel or guesthouse or paid for holiday accommodation 6%;
• Made use of a commercial airline 13%;
• Taking vitamins or health supplements 15%;
• Visited specialists 11%;
• Specialised cosmetics or skincare products 7%;
• Been to hospital for tests, operations or emergencies 6%;

Entertainment

The Afrikaans market enjoys entertainment and attending live shows, with 6% having watched a live sports event and 5% going to theatre or a live show over the past 12 months. They go to restaurants, make use of takeaways and maybe tend to entertain at home more than others (41% vs. 38%).

New campaign to target market

Precisely because of the strength of the Afrikaans-speaking market, gold Pendoring sponsor Ads24 has just launched a national advertising campaign to encourage marketers in South Africa to use Afrikaans as a medium to speak to the hearts and minds of a market that has a healthy disposable income and therefore boasts great spending power.

The campaign, conceptualised and executed by Mortimer Harvey, drives home the message of the efficacy of advertising to the Afrikaans market in Afrikaans in a humorous and entertaining way.

Ads24 CEO Linda Gibson points out that 10.6 million of South Africans can read or understand Afrikaans. "The Afrikaans market accounts for 28% of South Africa's household spending power and it's certainly worth noting that both local and global research show that people identify more positively with products, services and brands advertised to them in the language in which they think," she reiterates.