2025 township consumer trends: Price-conscious, local-first, social-driven

Price sensitivity, preference for local entrepreneurs, and social media-driven brand discovery are fundamentally reshaping consumer behaviour in South Africa's townships. This is according to the latest annual Township CX Report, produced by Rogerwilco with Field & Insights Africa and MoyaApp, which surveyed township residents across South Africa to understand the evolving factors driving their brand loyalty and purchasing decisions. The report reveals compelling trends that provide essential marketing intelligence for brands seeking to connect with this vital consumer base.

Brand and marketing managers and brand owners are invited to join the launch of the 2025 Township CX Report in an exclusive, no-cost webinar on 1 October at 10am. Discover groundbreaking insights from the latest research, which builds on four years of comprehensive data to explore how township consumer priorities and shopping behaviours continue to evolve.

This year's findings reveal that price has become the dominant factor in brand loyalty, with 68% of township consumers identifying it as their primary driver.

The report also uncovers a significant preference for supporting local entrepreneurs, with one in three shoppers choosing local businesses over national chains.

Digital transformation continues to accelerate, with 54% of township consumers now using social media as their primary source for brand and product discovery.

The research further reveals the collaborative nature of township purchasing behaviour, with 72% of households making collective buying decisions.

What do these and other research findings mean for brands and marketers? The launch webinar featuring leading industry experts will examine the findings and help interpret them to develop more effective strategies for engaging South Africa's largest consumer demographic:

• Mongezi Mtati, senior brand strategist at Rogerwilco and Township CX Report lead
  
• Donald Mokgale, managing director at MoyaApp
  
• Annelene Dippenaar, chief business officer at Shop2Shop
  
• Leah Moripe, head of CX Emerging Market at Capitec
  
• Bongani Soko, co-founder and Business Development director at Godlela

To gain deeper understanding of how brands can leverage these evolving dynamics and build meaningful relationships with township consumers in an increasingly price-conscious and digitally-connected environment, join the online report launch on 1 October at 10am. Marketers, advertisers, and brand owners can register at no cost to secure their spot for this essential industry briefing.