"Through our Kasi Star Brands benchmark, we consistently re-evaluate the township market to really delve into what makes them tick, what loyalty means to them and, very importantly, what is impacting their buying decisions," says Andrea Gevers (Rademeyer), CEO at Ask Afrika.

"This year was no different with the emergence of key trends and – of course – identifying those brands that have again taken this market by storm," adds Gevers (Rademeyer), CEO at Ask Afrika.

Kasi Star Brands aims to focus on 'solus' usage – brands that consumers will not choose an alternative for. The Kasi Star Brands, therefore, evaluated 145 categories and 720 brands within the township sector, across the country.

Thirty-two Kasi Star Brands met the criteria to qualify as a Kasi brand. Ask Afrika says it is proud to announce that Kiwi has come out as the overall winner, giving the Kasi market real value for money and delivering on their promise of quality and excellence across their product range.

Coming in after Kiwi were, in order of rank: Coca-Cola, Sunlight, Koo, Dettol, Lucky Star, KFC, Mageu, Moir’s and Shoprite.

According to Ask Afrika, Kasi Star Brands' research showed that the average Kasi citizen will support brands that are able to go the extra mile for them by meeting the following criteria:
  • Acting ethically
  • Fitting into their lifestyles
  • Never disappointing them
  • Innovating
  • Taking the time to understand them
  • Creating an emotional affinity to their brand
  • Demonstrating that they can be trusted, and
  • Giving back to their communities.
Kasi Star Brands compared two different townships in its research – Soweto and Khayelitsha. The research showed that these two townships differ in demographics; however, they also differ in terms of life stage and life values.

It highlights how Soweto hosts older citizens, single parents and families, and Khayelitsha hosts younger citizens, with a large portion of dependent singles.

According to the research, it is important for brands to move beyond demographics and include other key influential factors such as life stage and life values, for example.

"Brands need to gain a granular understanding of the differences between consumers in different geographical locations to truly identify with, and succeed, in this market," says Gevers (Rademeyer).

"We see far more loyal usage amongst the average Kasi citizen than the general South African citizen, where their loyal usage is significantly higher. Once they find a reliable brand that delivers, they will stick to it," adds Gevers (Rademeyer).

"Considering emerging consumer trends within the Kasi market, there is no doubt that brands really need to have what it takes to become Kasi citizens’ most loyally used brands," Gevers (Rademeyer) says.

"We can confidently say that this year’s winners have risen above market challenges and truly delivered on the expectations of South Africa’s township market," Gevers (Rademeyer) concludes.

The overall 2018/2019 winners and their categories are:
  • Kiwi Shoe – Polish
  • Coca-Cola – Non-alcoholic drinks
  • Sunlight Liquid soap – wash by hand
  • Koo – Tinned Beans
  • Dettol – Liquid antiseptics
  • Lucky Star – Tinned Fish
  • KFC – Fast food outlet
  • Mageu: Number 1 Milk – Mageu/Maheu
  • Moire's – Baking Aids/essences/colour
  • Shoprite – Food retail/Supermarket
For more information, visit www.askafrika.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.