Brand loyalty in South Africa’s townships is being rewritten by survival economics, where necessity trumps sentiment and households are forced to prioritise value in their daily spending. That’s the central finding of the 2025 Township Customer Experience (CX) Report, released by Africa’s largest B Corp-certified digital agency, Rogerwilco, in partnership with Field & Insights Africa and MoyaApp.
According to Stats SA, food inflation hit 5.1% in June 2025, the highest level in 15 months, while the Household Affordability Index placed the cost of a basic 44-item basket at R5,443.12, up 3.6% from a year earlier. These rising costs are leaving township households with less room to manoeuvre and forcing more deliberate choices at the till.
“Conventional marketing wisdom assumes loyalty is fixed. What our research shows is that loyalty in the township context is highly rational and deeply tied to survival,” says Mongezi Mtati, senior brand strategist at Rogerwilco. “When 39% of consumers switch brands due to rising prices, it’s not disloyalty, it’s a calculated move to stretch every rand. Brands need to show up with consistent value, smarter pack sizes, and meaningful community engagement if they want to remain relevant.”
Now in its fifth year, the Township CX Report surveyed more than 1,600 township residents across the country’s nine provinces, providing an in-depth view of how price pressures, digital connectivity and cultural traditions are shaping the township economy. This was complemented by a MoyaApp survey of 3,820 township residents, offering further insight into how savings, insurance and banking trends reflect a survival-first reality.
The findings highlight how township shoppers are optimising across both formal and informal channels. Supermarkets are gaining traction, with 54% of respondents shopping there more often for bulk deals and promotions. At the same time, 29% have increased their spaza purchases, reflecting the complementary role these stores play in daily convenience and top-up shopping.
The government’s spaza registration drive, which ran from November 2024 to February 2025, appears to have paid unexpected dividends. Trust is on the rise, with 41% of residents reporting greater confidence in spazas after the process, while 49% favour shops run by familiar store owners. This renewed trust strengthens spazas’ position as neighbourhood hubs, even as supermarkets capture bulk spending.
Together, these trends reveal that township shoppers are not simply shifting loyalty from one channel to another; they are strategically balancing both, using supermarkets for bigger savings and spazas for trusted, everyday access.
While price remains the strongest driver of decision-making, township shoppers are not simply chasing the cheapest options. Among those who change stores when prices rise, 25% weigh price against quality, location and promotions, while 13% actively avoid products they view as poor quality, regardless of cost.
This reflects a sophisticated approach to value, where consumers balance affordability with standards of trust and quality. Even in households under strain, including 8% of store switchers who are unemployed and another 8% from households earning between R1,000 and R4,000 a month, shoppers are making calculated decisions about real promotional value and whether travel costs are justified.
For brands, the lesson is clear: loyalty cannot be won on price alone. Township consumers are shopping across multiple channels, supermarkets for bulk savings and spazas for everyday convenience, which means brands must be visible across this ecosystem. Consistent value, not once-off promotions, is what earns trust, while articulating worth beyond basic functionality and showing authentic community connection remain decisive advantages that pure price competition cannot replicate.
“Trust is fundamental in the township economy, but brands should also focus on what makes them meaningful and different from their competitors. Even in a highly price-sensitive market, consumers are willing to pay a premium for brands they trust, ones that truly understand their needs and stand apart in meaningful ways,” adds Donald Mokgale, managing director of MoyaApp.
The 2025 report also uncovers a sharp rise in stokvel participation, with 71% of respondents belonging to at least one stokvel, a 39% increase from 51% just two years ago. Grocery and funeral stokvels dominate, reflecting township households’ need to pool resources for immediate essentials rather than long-term wealth building.
Just as collective saving is treated as a non-negotiable safety net, so too is digital access. The latest findings show that 37% spend R251-R500 per month on connectivity, often prioritising data over other essentials. While 40% have never used an app or website to buy groceries or fast food, women aged 25-44 are emerging as early adopters, driving the shift toward mobile-first commerce.
“The township shopper is sophisticated, strategic, and pragmatic,” concludes Mtati. “Brands that meet them with trust, relevance and respect for their realities will earn loyalty and build it for the long term.”
The full 2025 Township CX Report is available for download at www.townshipcx.co.za. The site carries all reports from 2021, the Township Marketing Podcast (TMP) launched earlier this year and other insightful content and trends that influence the township economy.
