The rise of social commerce
Social media has become more than just a space for connection and entertainment, it is now a powerful driver of retail decisions. Data from YouGov Profiles, analysed by consumer insights company KLA, highlights how South Africans are increasingly using social media to discover, engage with, and purchase products.
The findings reveal consumer behaviour, where platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are reshaping the traditional shopping journey. Engagement with social content, influencer recommendations, and personalised promotions are influencing purchasing decisions in ways that brands can't ignore.
'Social commerce is changing how consumers interact with brands, blending retail with social engagement,' says Rakhee Naik, managing consultant – Insights at KLA. 'Understanding how different audiences engage with these platforms is critical for businesses looking to remain relevant in this evolving space.'
Key findings from YouGov profiles:
- Browsing without intent leads to discovery. 68% of South Africans say they scroll social media without a specific goal, making them more receptive to product suggestions.
- Influencer recommendations can be powerful. 46% of consumers trusting influencer-endorsed products, demonstrating the growing credibility of social media personalities in shaping purchase decisions.
- Social media cannot be ignored as a direct sales driver. 42% of South Africans have purchased a product based on a promotion seen on social media.
- Advertising preferences are shifting. 23% of respondents prefer engaging with ads on social media rather than traditional websites, valuing the interactive and immersive nature of digital content.
- There is a demand for engaging and shareable experiences. 56% of users actively seek visually engaging content they can showcase online, reinforcing the role of creativity in brand visibility.
These findings point to the increasing influence of digital and social-first strategies in shaping retail today. With 67% of South Africans increasing their time spent on social platforms, brands and retailers must consider how they connect with consumers, ensuring that their marketing approaches are seamless, engaging, and aligned with new shopping behaviours.
The findings from YouGov Profiles provide a snapshot of changing retail habits. As the retail landscape continues to evolve, businesses will need to strike a balance between traditional and digital experiences -ensuring that their marketing and retail strategies align with the way modern consumers discover, trust, and purchase products online.
Methodology:
Profiles: Segmentation and media planning tool. YouGov Profiles makes it simple to find and understand the audience that matters most to you. With data collected daily, it gives you the power to build and customise a portrait of your consumers' entire world with unrivalled granularity. More than 12,500 variables are available in South Africa.
Dataset: 2024-12-29
Nationally representative sample of South African adults with access to the internet, aged 18+
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Campaign ME
3 hours ago
- Campaign ME
Indian cricketer KL Rahul shoots brand collab with Paul & Shark in Dubai
Italian luxury clothing brand Paul & Shark has appointed Indian cricketer KL Rahul as its first global brand ambassador from India, revealed through a digital and social media campaign produced in Dubai. The first chapter of this exclusive collaboration between Paul & Shark and KL Rahul was shot in the heart of the UAE to 'capture a vibrant, modern, and luxurious city, perfectly aligned with the essence of the partnership,' the brand revealed in a statement. Jashanmal Group is the franchise partner for Paul & Shark in the UAE and Kuwait. The campaign featuring KL Rahul is live across Paul & Shark's global platforms and KL Rahul's Instagram, with a special focus on India — a key market in the brand's international distribution network. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KL Rahul👑 (@klrahul) The natural element of water, always central to Paul & Shark's storytelling, frames the imagery and guides the entire narrative, a story deeply connected to the outdoors. Commenting on his role as the brand ambassador, KL Rahul said, 'Paul & Shark just gets my style. The brand is effortless, sharp, and never trying too hard. It stands for quality and quiet confidence, which is exactly how I see fashion too. Being the first Indian to represent them globally makes it even more special, it feels like the kind of partnership that just fits.' As the first-ever Indian athlete to be named a global ambassador for Paul & Shark, KL Rahul will embody the brand's evolving vision of luxury, adventure and modern style. This announcement, in partnership with RBL, marks a milestone moment, highlighting the strategic importance of the Indian market for Paul & Shark—a country with which the brand shares a longstanding relationship in both business and communication. The brand also recently celebrated 15 years in India, with presence across key cities. Paul & Shark CEO Andrea Dini said, 'Paul & Shark has always stood for authenticity, adventure, and luxury. KL Rahul's journey as an athlete, his international appeal, and his distinct sense of style makes him a natural extension of our brand's values. This partnership is not just about fashion — it's about celebrating a way of life that merges sport, travel, and contemporary elegance.' As a family-managed, generational business, the brand remains grounded in heritage while embracing the present and looking to the future, with a strong commitment to responsible practices and sustainability at its core. The partnership launches with Rahul as the face of Paul & Shark's Spring/Summer 2025 collection, celebrating the brand's DNA — a love for the sea, a union of technical innovation and craftsmanship, and a balance between heritage and modernity. The SS25 collection aims to blend elegance and performance in a perfect narrative, with craftsmanship as the protagonist, alongside the brand's iconic pairing of luxurious materials combined with new technologies. Silk, linen, and cashmere are combined with high-performance treatments such as the renowned Typhoon membrane. In every piece of the SS25 collection, the brand attempts to merge quality with functionality in a balance of aesthetics and practicality.
Broadcast Pro
a day ago
- Broadcast Pro
UAE ranks among top countries for digital ad exposure: Eskimi
Among the analyzed countries, the average number of ads displayed to a person per day varies from tens to almost 1,600 ads every day. A new global study conducted by Eskimi, a creative and media technology platform, has found that internet users in the United Arab Emirates are exposed to nearly 850 digital advertisements each day. This figure places the UAE 12th among countries with the highest daily ad exposure, highlighting the region's growing prominence in the digital advertising landscape. Eskimi's research, which analysed ad statistics from websites and apps across 188 countries, paints a revealing picture of the modern digital environment. While 850 ads per day might seem excessive, some countries see significantly higher numbers. Nauru, a small Pacific island nation, tops the global list with users encountering nearly 1,600 ads daily. Iceland follows closely behind, with over 1,500. Vytautas Paukstys, CEO of Eskimi, said: 'Try imagining the ads you've seen today. Let me guess – you remember none or a very few. We are exposed to thousands of ads daily, but become resistant to them. In many instances, we do not even need ad-blockers, as our brains do just that. With this comes a challenge for businesses – how to cut through this block and get noticed.' The study reveals that app-based ads are far more prevalent than website ads in most countries, with UAE users experiencing app ads at triple the rate of web-based ones. Several factors contribute to these disparities, including device types, internet speeds, and overall connectivity. Countries with faster, more stable internet connections are able to load more complex and dynamic ad formats, increasing the overall volume. Paukstys also explained that ad saturation is driven not just by population size or infrastructure but by advertiser competition. In smaller countries like Nauru, limited user bases lead to an unusually high number of impressions per person. Conversely, densely populated and popular advertising markets experience increased competition, filling available ad space more consistently. Online habits further influence exposure levels. Citing the 2025 Global Digital Report by Meltwater and We Are Social, the study notes vast differences in average online time. South Africans, for instance, spend nearly ten hours online daily, compared to just four hours in Japan — a factor that directly impacts the volume of ads viewed. According to Paukstys, insights like these can help marketers develop more effective advertising strategies. Rather than simply pushing a high volume of static ads, he advises businesses to invest in engaging formats and creative content that can stand out in cluttered environments. 'Being exposed to hundreds of ads is very different from truly seeing them,' he said. 'To break through ad fatigue, advertisers need to step up their game by returning to creativity and evaluating the actual impact of their campaigns.' With attention becoming a new currency in the digital ad space, many advertisers are turning to advanced AI tools and analytics to go beyond impressions and clicks, focusing instead on genuine user engagement and campaign effectiveness. Paukstys offered several practical recommendations for marketers in highly saturated ad markets. He emphasised the importance of innovation through modern demand-side platforms, the value of localisation to better connect with audiences, and a renewed focus on creativity to make campaigns stand out. The study's findings are based on anonymised ad data from Eskimi and other industry sources, compiled in May 2025. Researchers calculated average daily ad exposures by analysing ad request volumes in relation to the number of internet users in each country. They also broke down ad placements by type, comparing ratios of app versus website ads to better understand user experiences across different digital environments.
Tahawul Tech
a day ago
- Tahawul Tech
Threads to test direct messaging feature
Meta's Threads app announced it would begin rolling out direct messaging, features long offered by rivals, in a bid to attract more users. Users in select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand, will get a dedicated inbox for direct messages on the app as part of the test, eliminating the need to switch to Instagram's messaging platform. Meta said messages on Threads will not be encrypted for now. Threads and Instagram have long been intertwined as part of Meta's plans to leverage the image and video sharing platform's massive user base to better compete with services such as X, TikTok and Reddit for digital ad dollars. Meta announced the expansion of advertising on Threads to all eligible advertisers globally in April. However, the company has said it did not expect Threads to be a 'meaningful driver' of revenue growth in 2025. Research firm Emarketer expects Threads' U.S. monthly active users will grow 17.5% to 60.5 million by next year, surpassing X, whose user base is expected to decline 14.4% to 50 million. U.S. trade restrictions and the rise of AI‑powered ad targeting have pushed social media platforms to enhance their offerings, adding distinctive features and sharper user experiences to stand out in a saturated market. Source: Reuters Image Credit: Stock Image
