Those everyday realities, more than any single price tag, are now shaping how millions of South Africans shop, save and engage with brands.

Rogerwilco's 2026 Township Customer Experience (CX) Report, produced in partnership with Field & Insights Africa, explores these pressures through the lens of "the cost of coping", the practical and emotional toll of keeping a household running amid unreliable infrastructure, tightening budgets and financial uncertainty, says the duo.

"For years we've measured customer experience from the moment someone enters a store, opens an app or interacts with a brand," says Mongezi Mtati, Senior Brand Strategist at Rogerwilco and lead author of the Township CX Report. "This year's report shows that the biggest influences on consumer behaviour often happen long before that. Too often we ask why people switch brands or change the way they shop, when the better question is what happened before they even left home. Once you understand those pressures, their decisions stop looking irrational and start making perfect sense."

Now in its sixth year, the annual study surveyed 1 600 township residents nationally. Many households have started treating perishability itself as a risk to manage, as 79% of respondents say they face monthly power outages while 55% face monthly water interruptions. Almost 40% now buy fewer fresh or refrigerated foods specifically because power cannot be relied on.

That caution is reshaping the basket at a category level too. More than half of respondents are buying less red meat, while 60% are buying more chicken, a shift the report reads not as consumers abandoning protein, but choosing options that are more affordable, flexible and easier to stretch across the month, adds the duo.

That same instinct to protect the basket is changing how and where the township residents we surveyed shop. Affordability is now the single biggest factor in brand choice, cited by 54% of respondents, narrowly ahead of quality at 53%. Store loyalty itself has become conditional with 41% switching retailers for better promotions elsewhere and a further 41% switching to a store closer to home or work.

For brands, another significant finding is that visibility alone is no longer enough. Township consumers increasingly judge brands by whether they make daily life easier. While more than nine in ten respondents believe companies should play some role when public services fail, almost half say brands currently make little difference to their everyday lives. Only one in five believe brands genuinely help them cope with daily challenges, says the duo.

The research suggests consumers are looking for practical forms of support, including more affordable everyday products, dependable availability, smaller pack sizes, support for local businesses and digital services that reduce costs and make life easier. Consumers want brands to do more than show up. They want practical support that helps them navigate everyday challenges. In other words, usefulness, not visibility, earns their trust.

The report also explores how households are adapting financially under sustained economic pressure. Stokvels remain a trusted, disciplined saving mechanism, with 34% of respondents currently belonging to one, most commonly to cover large annual expenses. Gambling, overwhelmingly mobile-led, sits alongside stokvels as a very different kind of financial coping mechanism, with half of respondents having gambled or placed bets during the past 12 months, reflecting the growing financial pressure facing many households, adds the duo.

Digital connectivity, meanwhile, is high but conditional. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) are online throughout the day, yet more than a third say data cost still limits how often they engage with brands online. This is why low-data formats carry outsized influence. WhatsApp promotions make online engagement easier for 49% of respondents, and simple, low-data messages help a further 44%. AI is also beginning to influence consumer discovery with 28% having used tools like ChatGPT to find new brands or products in the past year.

"Township residents have already adapted to a world of constant uncertainty, disruptions and unreliable basic services," concludes Mtati. "The real question is whether brands are adapting just as quickly. The organisations that will earn lasting relevance won't necessarily be those with the biggest budgets or the loudest campaigns. They'll be the ones that understand the hidden pressures shaping everyday decisions and find practical ways to reduce the cost of coping."

For more information, visit www.rogerwilco.co.za. You can also follow Rogerwilco on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on X. 

*Image courtesy of contributor