How local brands can win the hearts of South African consumers

Luyanda Mazibuko, SEM's creative production manager, asks how homegrown brands can actually tap into the hearts of the diverse South African market? (Image supplied)

With the evolution of the digital space over the past decade or so, it has now become the main arena where brands can gain - or lose - customer trust and loyalty. How can our homegrown brands actually tap into the hearts of the diverse South African market?

3 ways to tap into the hearts of the diverse South African market

Authentic storytelling & cultural relevance

Authenticity is non-negotiable. Consumers are inundated with an overwhelming amount of ads; approximately 7,000 per day.

What they really want to see are brands that reflect the common realities of this country: cultural nuances and references, integration of our official languages and shared experiences.

A 2022 NielsenIQ study found that 55% of South Africans actually prefer to purchase locally-made products from smaller businesses.

Digital marketing campaigns that not only offer the consumer value, but are also culturally relevant have a better chance of resonating with your audience than something that is more generic.

A great example of this was Simba’s What's Your Mmmzansi Flavour? campaign, where they asked the general public to vote for a new chip flavour in 2021.

The campaign was immediately anchored in South African identity by using the slang term Mzansi. Customers shared gifs via WhatsApp, voted online, and contributed ideas.

The outcomes were astounding. Simba received 36 million organic gif views on Giphy and a 31.7% organic engagement rate on Facebook.

Beyond the figures, the campaign demonstrated that when brands appreciate their culture and speak their language, local consumers are willing to co-create.

The lesson? Create campaigns with South Africans that highlight what makes their nation special, rather than merely marketing to them.

Build communities, not just reach

Marketers must begin putting community and constructive interaction ahead of reach.

Reaching a large audience is not enough for local brands to be successful. Making your customers feel valued and understood is the key to achieving true success.

In the digital sphere, fostering interaction works better to build loyalty than broad, surface-level exposure.

The 2023 Township CX report stated that almost 60% of township consumers are now prioritising price over loyalty to one specific brand, while a 2024 survey found that 83% of South African consumers use social media channels to find new brands, compared to the global average of 67%.

The same survey also concluded that 82% of consumers will review consumer experiences online before making a purchase.

These statistics suggest that local brands demonstrate a strong presence across various consumer touchpoints, with social media driving discovery, reviews providing validation, and digital channels facilitating purchases.

South African sneaker brand, Bathu, does this really well.

By allowing its consumers to feel like they are a part of their journey, Bathu has created an enthusiastic and expanding online community.

Some of what they've done is:

• Encourage UGC (user-generated content) by showcasing actual consumers on Instagram and Twitter, allowing them to demonstrate how Bathu fits into their lives.

• Create buzz around launches by collaborating with local influencers who have ties to certain communities.

• Promote an African identity and pride narrative. South African urban culture is reflected in their designs, language, and imagery, giving the brand a homegrown flavour.

Bathu’s community-centred approach has generated a lot of social media interest and positive word-of-mouth for the brand.

Today's consumers are looking to actively participate in a brand's narrative, not just passively receive it.

Here are a few practical ways that your brand can achieve this:

• Tap into micro-influencers whose content is not only entertaining but also genuinely represents their local community.

• Make use of user-generated content (UGC) to show potential customers how your brand can fit into their life.

• Prioritise engaging with your audience. Ensure that you’re responding to comments/concerns, provide polls and Q&A’s, and tailor your campaigns to allow for consumer participation.

Championing local & purpose-driven marketing

Brands have to show that they are not all about sales & profit; they need to care about the South African people, our country as a whole and creating lasting impact.

Keeping money in the South African economy has a ripple effect. Every cent spent on a local brand helps reduce unemployment, stimulates small businesses, and strengthens supply chains.

That’s proof that purpose and impact outweigh price alone.

Ways to show this impact through digital marketing include:

• Creating behind-the-scenes content that tells the stories of the people who make it possible for your brand to exist; tap into their sense of empowerment or pride of being a part of something bigger than them.

• Communicating how buying local contributes to tackling unemployment or supporting township economies.
• Conceptualising campaigns that position your brand as part of a solution to a larger social or economic issue that the country is facing (unemployment, lack of education, etc.). This can also be done by collaborating with and supporting local NGOs and other impactful initiatives.

Women's Month

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To genuinely embrace #ProudlySA, local brands must move beyond mere catchphrases.

Building lasting trust and loyalty requires demonstrating real local impact, engaging with communities (rather than solely focusing on reach), and sharing authentic South African stories.

Digital platforms offer an ideal space for both connection and sales.

South Africans buy into relationships, meaning, and narratives, not just products. Brands that understand this will capture both sales and hearts.