It’s an interesting time for consumer brands in South Africa. The market is highly competitive, diverse, and increasingly digital. Customers expect more than great products; they expect to feel understood, too.
By Kunal Badiani, vice-president: business and growth at MoEngage for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey
Sadly, too many brands still rely on outdated ideas of personalisation, which usually involve adding someone’s first name to an email, WhatsApp, or SMS. While a friendly greeting is a start, let’s be frank: “Hello [First Name]” isn’t enough to win a customer over.
The truth is that this kind of personalisation doesn’t land the way it used to. This kind of personalisation is more of a tick-box exercise than a real connection. South African consumers are smart. They move between social media, messaging apps, and online shopping all day. When they receive messages that feel generic or out of touch, it’s more than annoying. It leads to them losing trust in the brand and looking elsewhere, usually straight into the arms of a competitor.
Local data supports this. A South African Customer Experience Report highlights growing frustration among consumers with interactions that feel generic or disconnected, with the report noting that communications often lack authenticity. This signals a clear need for brands to rethink how they engage. With 86% of local consumers already shopping online and using multiple channels for discovery, purchase and support, expectations have shifted. Consumers now want integrated experiences rather than one-size-fits-all messaging. To meet these expectations, businesses must adopt cohesive omnichannel strategies that deliver consistent and authentic engagement across every touchpoint.
So, what can South African brands do to move past shallow personalisation and start building real connections that actually matter? It’s no secret that tailored experiences work. Around 80% of consumers say they engage more with brands that feel personal, and segmented campaigns can generate nearly nine times more revenue. With South Africa’s E-commerce market set to grow from about US$35.23 billion (R670 billion) this year to well over US$74.79 billion (R1.4 trillion) by 2033, brands can’t afford to stick with old ways of doing things.
The good news is that the tools to achieve this are already here, and they are powerful. The key to unlocking this next level of personalisation lies in a robust Customer Data and Engagement Platform (CDEP). Think of it as the engine room for all your customer interactions. These platforms bring together every bit of data from your website, app, store visits, or call centre into one clear profile. Having this bigger picture makes it much easier to move beyond a first-name greeting to actually knowing what consumers want and when they want it.
Once you have this unified view, you can start using AI to make your messages more relevant. Instead of blasting out the same special at the same time for everyone, smart systems can figure out the best time to send each customer a message and which channel they’re most likely to see it on. Whether that’s WhatsApp, SMS, email, or an in-app push, it should mirror and complement their online habits.
What smarter customer engagement really looks like
No two customers are alike, and neither are their habits. Sending out a promotional message at a random time or through a channel someone barely checks is unlikely to deliver results. Modern customer engagement platforms use predictive AI to analyse data and customer behaviour so brands can reach consumers at the best possible time. The goal is simple: get your message in front of each customer when they’re most likely to open it, read it, and act on it.
It’s just as important to pick the right channel. Some consumers respond best to WhatsApp, others to SMS, in-app messages, or email. A good platform can figure this out for each customer, so your message lands where they prefer to see it. This makes your marketing far more visible and effective. Given that South Africa’s mobile penetration rate is expected to reach 95% next year, a smart mobile-first approach is no longer optional.
Making customer journeys work without the manual effort
Customers don’t all follow the same path when they buy something. Some browse and buy immediately, others need more time or encouragement. Trying to map every possible step and manage it manually isn’t realistic. This is where automated customer journeys come into play.
For example, say someone looks at a product on your app but doesn’t buy it. Instead of sending a generic follow-up email days later, a good engagement platform can instantly send a tailored in-app message with a small discount. If they still don’t act, it can trigger a digital reminder later the same day. This isn’t a rigid system; it adapts in real time to what each customer does next.
Companies using these AI-driven tools are already seeing up to 30% higher engagement. It shows how much difference it makes when messages are timely and relevant rather than one-size-fits-all.
For local brands, this shift is becoming non-negotiable. Relying on basic first-name personalisation won’t build trust or loyalty in a market where customers expect more. Investing in proper customer data and engagement platforms is about more than buying new software. It’s about changing how you connect with consumers. If you get it right, you don’t just talk to your customers, you understand them and build the kind of long-term relationships that drive real growth.