GfK expanding in Africa

Established in 2002, GlobalEDGE Marketing Consultants is one of the leading market research organisations in South Africa. The company uses qualitative and quantitative methods to research the habits and attitudes of African consumers.

The "ShopperLINK" consumer panel, which is representative of South African households, significantly contributes to the success of GlobalEDGE. The close relationships cultivated by GlobalEDGE with its FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) clients will enable GfK to further expand its consumer panel business in South Africa. GlobalEDGE laid strong foundations for the panel by completing the concept and an initial test phase in 2009 and 2010. This acquisition represents an expansion of the regional portfolio of GfK's Consumer Experiences sector, which will be gaining both an experienced team and an exceptional infrastructure for the continued expansion of the consumer panel. This is the first and only panel in South Africa to use modern in-home scanning technology. From now on, the company will be offering the entire spectrum of consumer panel analysis services developed by GfK specialists.

The company's founder, Graeme Taylor, was among the first to establish a high quality fact-based consultancy service on the African continent. In recent years, his successors, Bradley and Craig Taylor, have provided clients with data from a total of 33 countries right across Africa. The client base includes international groups such as Bayer, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, French Telecom, Kraft, McDonalds, Nestlé, Parmalat, Pernod Ricard, Orange and Unilever. In addition to clients in the consumer goods segment, telecommunications and financial service providers will also be among the primary beneficiaries of GfK's panel and tracking research.

The company, which has a staff complement of 51, maintains offices in Durban and Johannesburg. In financial year 2011, sales totalled €3.4 million. GlobalEDGE will be fully integrated into the activities of GfK South Africa.