The 2018 results announcement will take place on Thursday, 21 June and will aim to highlight Kasi brands that are driving consumer uptake in South Africa’s township markets, the reasons why they are leading the way and key insights into what they are getting right.

Looking at product usage across 145 categories and ranking 720 brands, 32 Ask Afrika Kasi Star Brands and 41 potential Kasi Star Brands will emerge as the 'brands of choice' among Kasi consumers.

"The World Bank estimates that half of South Africa’s urban population lives in townships and informal settlements, and to say that the Kasi consumer is ‘unique’ would be an understatement," says Sarina de Beer, director: client experience at Ask Afrika.

"At their core, these consumers are vibrant and diverse, in large, due to their cultural and religious backgrounds, which play a fundamental role in shaping their purchasing decisions and brand perceptions," adds de Beer.

"Once marketers and executives have a holistic view of the Kasi consumer, to understand their brand affiliation and temperament towards one brand or another, they can use this as the basis to inform their strategy into this market, which can be a defining factor and key differentiator," de Beer says. 

Methodology

The main aim of the survey is to focus on the loyal behaviour of the regular township resident and excludes the more affluent consumers that make townships their homes. The regular Kasi consumer in the study refers to a consumer that:

• lives in a South African township
• falls within a socio-economic level of between three to five

As part of the 2018 research, 7 676 South African township consumers – representing 11 258 000 consumers – voted for brands whom they believe define a common experience, and ones they are committed to.

Top trends to be revealed

De Beer adds, "As with previous years, the 2018 research really delved in on Kasi consumer behaviours to gain a greater understanding of this powerful consumer segment."

"A standout, which will be revealed in greater detail on Thursday, 21 June, is that loyalty levels are on the decline and, therefore, brands wanting to cement themselves as 'winning brands' in the minds and hearts of consumers will have to become smarter in how they build trust – Kasi Star Brands' research enables this," de Beer says.

The Kasi Star Brands survey aims to enable insight into unique profiles of Kasi living across all nine provinces and 34 townships across South Africa.

"There is no doubt that executives and marketers today have a number of aspects to consider when trying to bring their brand to ‘life’ within specific target audiences – given dynamic market conditions, external environmental and social influences," adds de Beer. 

De Beer concludes, "As such, at Ask Afrika, we look forward to announcing these top-line Kasi consumer trends annually and, more importantly, the brands that make them ‘tick’ – equipping South Africa’s brands and executives with key insights that will empower them to create brands that resonate with this key audience, increase opportunity and deliver on consumer expectations."

All winners will be announced at the launch event on Thursday, 21 June.

For more information, visit www.askafrika.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.