According to the partners, the MAPS™ May 2024 release incorporated three full years of data from 2021 through 2023, providing brands, marketers and their agency partners with an unmatched opportunity to analyse emerging consumer trends and shifting product purchasing behaviours across South Africa.

"Our long-standing MAPS programme exemplifies the cutting-edge market intelligence capabilities within the South African research community," says Johann Koster, CEO of the Marketing Research Foundation. "By collaborating with renowned organisations like ESOMAR, we were able to highlight how the quality, integrity and thoroughness of MAPS align with the highest global standards for consumer analytics."

The partners say that with a robust annual sample size exceeding 20 000 respondents across metro, urban and rural areas, MAPS offers unprecedented visibility into media consumption habits and consumer goods purchasing patterns nationwide. The study's rigorous methodology, covering over 3 000 brands across more than 150 media and product categories, ensures MAPS data maintains stringent quality thresholds.

The research shows that South African households are grappling with increasing financial strain amid rising costs for basic goods and persistent issues like crippling electricity blackouts. Data showed significant declines in expenditures for discretionary purchases like dining out and cinema visits; however, alcohol sales have remained fairly constant with beer and wine consumption having increased.

According to the study, media consumption remained stable overall, with streaming video and social platforms carving out their space in the video viewing universe; television seems to have stabilised and is holding its own in terms of overall audience share.

The partners say the webinar featured insights into wide-ranging topics such as:

  • the impact of escalating inflation on grocery and consumer goods purchasing power
  • shifting habits around traditional and digital media consumption 
  • households' reliance on mobile banking and money transfer services
  • the evolution of e-commerce and online shopping adoption across categories like clothing, and
  • emerging trends in alcoholic beverage preferences and liquor retail channel choices.

Koster concludes, "The insights are invaluable for any entity looking to understand and engage with the South African market. Our data is a critical tool for developing strategies that resonate with consumers, drive growth and adapt to the dynamic market environment."

The webinar recording and presentation are freely available to all.

For more information, visit www.mrfsa.org.za. You can also follow the MRF on Facebook or LinkedIn.

*Image courtesy of contributor