African Consumers Research Articles

Preventing compulsive shopping among young South-Africans and Germans

PurposeYoung consumers globally are susceptible to becoming compulsive shoppers. Having negative consequences and considering that compulsive shopping may originate from past family life experiences, this study aims to use human capital life-course and positive-activity theories to suggest a socio-psychological pathway for prevention. It also examined the mediating influence of happiness and money attitude.Design/methodology/approachUniversity students in South Africa (N= 171) and in Germany (N= 202) were surveyed. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test relationships and multi-group analysis (MGA) assessed cross-cultural differences.FindingsEmotional family resources received during childhood positively impacted happiness at young adulthood, which was found to be a positive driver of budget money attitude. Budget money attitude in turn limited compulsive shopping for German young consumers but not for South Africans. Cross-cultural differences are also observed in mediating effects of happiness and budget money attitude.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is based on self-reported data from university students; this might limit the generalisability of findings.Social implicationsA positive relationship between happiness and desirable money attitude was confirmed. This study additionally contributes by showing that for South African and German young consumers, adequate childhood emotional family resources is a happiness’ driver. This thus exposes the multiplier effects of simple acts of showing love and attention to children and how these family emotional resources can progressively limit dysfunctional consumer behaviour in the future.Originality/valueUnlike complex psychotherapeutical and psychopharmacological treatments of compulsive buying that are being suggested, this study borrows from family, consumer and economic–psychological disciplines to suggest simple preventive measures.

Understanding South African consumers’ preferences and market potential for products with low water and carbon footprints

ABSTRACTIn this article, we used a hybrid latent class model and choice experimental data to examine the choices of consumers regarding water and carbon footprint attributes. The findings indicate that a significant proportion of middle- to upper-class consumers are generally willing to pay higher premiums for a reduction in both water usage and carbon emission in agricultural production, displayed through water and carbon footprint labelling. There exist heterogeneous preferences for water and carbon footprint sustainability attributes, with some being environmental sustainability activists and water sustainability advocates, while others are conservatives regarding environmentally sustainable products. About 86 per cent of the middle-class to upper-class respondents attaches a higher monetary value to low water usage relative to low carbon emissions. The preferences for ecologically sustainable product attributes differ significantly as a function of respondents’ underlying attitudes towards environmental degradation and sustainability, socioeconomic characteristics and awareness of water scarcity situation locally. The findings contribute to the current debate on the possibility of using environmentally sustainable production and ecological footprint labelling to address the problem of ecological externalities in the food and agricultural sector.

Factors That Influence Perceptions and Purchasing of Organic Produce by South African Consumers

This article provides insight into the literature on consumer perceptions towards organic fruit and vegetables, attempting to identify factors that influence purchasing practices. Several supermarkets and fresh food markets in South Africa are now selling organically produced food items and consequently provide consumers with an alternative to conventionally grown food. However, limited research has been conducted in South Africa regarding consumer awareness and knowledge pertaining to organic produce and how consumer perceptions affect their purchasing practices. This article therefore provides a background to the organic food market in South Africa. From available literature, the article then goes on to explain the consumer behavior related to purchasing organic food produce, specifically with regard to socio-economic demographics and factors influencing willingness to pay a premium for organic produce. The article culminates in suggestions for further research to improve knowledge and understanding of the organic produce consumer in South Africa.

English

The importance of vitamin A and other carotenoids in controlling micronutrient based deficiencies in particular VAD has been emphasized in recent years. This has resulted into demands for availing these nutrients in forms that are easily accessible for most of the populations in micronutrient deficient areas. Specifically in Africa, various programs have been instituted to bio-fortify crops with nutrients with more emphasis being put on Vitamin A fortification. Much as advances have been made in this area, a number of programs have registered little success while others have not taken off.  In this review, advances in breeding for vitamin A increments are discussed. Countries where successes have been achieved are also highlighted while efforts in a number of areas for the different staple crops have been given due emphasis. In particular, breeding strategies have been discussed, and examples of successful breeding strategies highlighted to inform future efforts. In addition, the effect of processing on retention of vitamin A in processed products has been discussed with specific recommendations on identification of crop specific processing procedures. Such procedures should be optimized before adoption to allow for minimal losses in vitamin A and other related nutrients. We conclude that much as advances have been made, specific efforts are still needed in certain staples in order to provide benefits to the African consumers. Key Words: African staples, Carotenoids, Malnutrition, Biofortification, Retention &nbsp

Assessment of safety risks associated with handling chicken as based on practices and knowledge of a group of South African consumers

Chicken meat has been identified as one of the most important food vehicles of pathogens, particularly Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. Consumer food safety knowledge and behaviour can substantially contribute to the prevention of foodborne illness. The main objective of this study was to assess the practices and knowledge of a group of South African consumers with respect to handling raw chicken meat, and the associated safety risks with the aim of reducing the risk of foodborne illness at the consumer level. Data were collected through a web-based cross-sectional survey (n = 863). Results showed that a substantial proportion of consumers do not handle raw chicken correctly during purchasing (55%) and thawing (44%); and do not wash their hands correctly before (31%) and after (36%) handling raw chicken. With regard to knowledge on factors affecting the safety of chicken meat, 48% of the respondents believed that refrigeration prevents the growth of bacteria in raw chicken, 93% did not know the maximum safe temperature for refrigerating raw chicken, 26% would refreeze raw chicken once thawed and 45% indicated that chicken that looks and smells fresh could not make them sick. Although the majority of consumers (at least 85%) indicated concerns about the safety risks associated with chicken meat, only 38% were rated as following good practices and 28% as having good knowledge about factors affecting the safety of chicken meat. Overall, consumers aged 40 years and older reported following more safe chicken handling practices and had more knowledge thereof than consumers below 40 years. The findings reflect safety risks related to consumers’ knowledge and practices when handling chicken meat and highlight the need for consumer education. Development of safe chicken handling guidelines to prevent temperature abuse of chicken meat, transmission of pathogenic bacteria and cross-contamination are needed.

Новая стратегия России на африканском направлении

This article critically reviews the previous and the still existing scholarship that promotes skeptical and arrogant approach to the debate on Russia’s economic cooperation with Africa. It problematizes prevailing conceptualizations, addresses methodological difficulties of data analysis, scrutinizes theoretical references in past argumentations and political actions in this respect. As an alternative to negative approaches prevailing in the 1990s and early 2000s, the authors suggest to cease neglecting the window of opportunities opened by dynamic nature of the rapidly developing African economies. Time is ripe for launching and implementing a New Strategy of economic cooperation with Africa. The article provides an analysis of the accumulated experience of Soviet-African cooperation. It demonstrates the available possibilities of reaping benefit from its use for the purposes of strengthening Russia’s economic and political positions on the African continent to achieve the announced goals of becoming one of the five largest economies in the world, ensuring high rates of economic growth, and creating in the basic sectors of the economy, particularly in manufacturing and agriculture, a highly productive export-oriented sector, based on modern technologies and fully provided with highly qualified personnel. The authors posit that in the existing conditions it is almost impossible to complete this ambitious task without interacting with African market. Russian industry undergoes a long awaited but still tentative revival. Emerging and developing countries, particularly burgeoning African economies, which offer an ever increasing demand, currently offer welcoming environment for testing the quality and competitiveness of Russian manufacturing goods. China selected this path in the 1990s, successfully taking over the share of the rapidly growing African consumer market vacated by Russia. However, it is not only and not so much an increase in mutual trade that Africa awaits from Russia, not even cooperation in mining, but investments in other strategic industries and sectors of the economy, such as energy generation, infrastructure construction, particularly transport related infrastructure projects like highways and road construction, railways, airports and maritime ports development, processing and manufacturing, sectors of advanced technological knowledge and skills application. Acknowledgements. The article was prepared as part of the Basic Research Program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2019 № 22 “Analysis and Forecast of New Global Challenges for Russia”, Subprogram “Africa in New Global Realities: Challenges and Opportunities for Russia”.

Do demographic and beef eating preferences impact on South African consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for graded beef?

A total of 720 South African consumers sourced from rural and urban backgrounds scored willingness to pay (WTP) for different eating quality grades of beef. The consumers had previously participated in taste panels which scored eating quality of grilled and slow cook samples before grading them as either 2 (unsatisfactory), 3 (good every day), 4 (better than everyday), or 5 (premium) star quality. Consumers provided details on demographic and meat preference traits. Eating quality grade had the largest effect on WTP (P < .001). Whether consumers were sourced from urban or rural backgrounds, or had tasted beef prepared using grill or slow cook methods had little effect on WTP (P > .05). Similarly, demographic and meat preference traits had little effect of WTP (P > .05), with the exception that at the higher meat quality grades older consumers had a lower WTP than younger age groups (P < .05), as did households with >8 adult consumers (P < .05).

Controversial fashion, ethical concerns and environmentally significant behaviour

PurposeThe purpose of this paper to report on the role of luxury value perceptions and ethical concerns in consumers’ environmentally significant behaviour and purchase intent for genuine leather products.Design/methodology/approachNon-probability sampling was done and 429 South African males and females, aged 26 years and older and who fell in a household income bracket that allowed them to purchase genuine leather products, completed a structured questionnaire during September 2016.FindingsThe study determined that South African consumers’ strong functional and individual luxury value perceptions drive their above-average purchase intent for genuine leather products. Strong individual value perceptions correlated negatively with their purchase intent. Respondents’ expressed strong ethical concerns but almost never participate in environmentally significant behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsFindings have implications for the leather industry and retailers and brands who would like to enter the South African luxury leather market. Due to the sampling method, findings can, however, not been generalised to the total population.Practical implicationsThe leather industry and leather brands should market themselves with the message that the highest pro-environmental and ethical standards have been maintained and that their products should therefore fulfil important individual and functional value perceptions.Originality/valueThis study was the first of its kind about the multi-cultural South African leather market’s luxury value perceptions, ethical concerns and environmentally significant behaviour.

Fluoride content of toothpastes available in South Africa.

The objective was to determine TF, total soluble fluoride (TSF) and insoluble fluoride (IF) concentrations in 22 fluoride toothpastes commercially available in South Africa. Samples were purchased from a major pharmaceutical and food retailer located in the two metropolitan areas in South Africa. TF and TSF concentrations were determined potentiometrically, in quadruplicate, following acid hydrolysis of the samples using a calibrated Combination Fluoride Ion Selective Electrode. IF was calculated by subtracting TSF from TF. Although TF content was found to be statistically significantly lower than manufacturer declaration (3.2x10-⁷; p≤0.05), 77.3% of the samples still contained adequate free, available/soluble F levels. Relative mean TSF content for toothpastes formulated with a calcium-based abrasive was 85% (sd ±14.5; n=6) as opposed to 98.6% (sd ±2.6; n=16) for those containing silica. The total fluoride concentration of all the toothpastes was lower than that declared by the manufacturers, with one in four having TSF concentrations of less than 1000ppm F. The relative TSF concentrations for the calcium-containing toothpastes were lower than for the silica-based products, reducing their preventive and protective potential. The results call for strengthened regulation and quality control of fluoride toothpastes in South Africa, as well as international efforts to improve related norms.

Marketing Pinotage to South African student millennials

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relevance of expert opinions as a marketing tool for Pinotage amongst young South African student millennials by means of sensory hedonic testing.Design/methodology/approachSensory hedonic testing was used because it is necessary to examine the extent to which extrinsic cues influence a wine’s intrinsic merit, as this can influence future purchase decisions. Thus, it combines marketing factors and sensory science and explores the sensory liking of food products by consumers. A total of 126 South African student millennial consumers were analysed.FindingsThe results confirm that expert opinions are an effective marketing tool. While positive expert opinions did not reinforce perceived quality for already generally liked wines, they increased perceived quality for wines that were not liked. Female student millennials specifically seem to be influenced by expert opinions and packaging, even though they show a relative dislike for Pinotage under blind tasting. These results are useful in the design of marketing strategies.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, it may be difficult to generalize the research results. However, future research could apply this methodology to investigate the perceived quality of wine and other food products in different countries. Furthermore, replicating this study could provide interesting comparative results.Originality/valueLittle is known about the liking for Pinotage wines by young South African consumers or about the cues that make them respond positively to marketing.

Dissemination of Consumer Law and Policy in South Africa

This article considers to what extent some important areas of South African consumer law have been influenced by the laws of international bodies, other countries or regional bodies or, in turn, influenced other laws in Southern Africa and beyond. It focuses on rules on product safety, product liability, remedies for defective quality of goods, some basic rules on unfair commercial practices and various aspects of consumer law relating to the use of mobile phones by South African consumers. The main piece of legislation considered is the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”), which came into force in 2011. The article considers whether aspects of this legislation were influenced by the EC Product Safety Directive, EC Product Liability Directive, EC Consumer Sales Directive, EC Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and EC Directive on Misleading and Comparative Marketing. It shows how the relevant provisions of the CPA influenced the laws of some African countries. The article also considers various issues faced by consumers in the mobile phone sector, including defective handsets, defective services, the high cost of mobile calls and data, the lapsing of “unused” data after short periods, data “disappearing” faster than expected, unfair contract terms, unsolicited marketing and the complexity of mobile phone contracts, which leads consumers to overestimate or underestimate their future usage, therefore paying too much because they are on an ill-suited plan. Conclusion of agreements via mobile phones, marketing of additional services like ringtones and apps and unsolicited marketing via mobile phones are also considered. Some complaints regarding the use of mobile phones should be better provided for in legislation, and enforcement of consumer rights in this sector could be improved.

WORLD ECONOMIC GIANTS IN THE EYES OF AFRICA: PERCEPTIONS OF AFRICAN CONSUMERS TOWARDS FOREIGN ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS ORIGINATING FROM CHINA, JAPAN AND UNITED STATES

This paper presents the results of an exploratory survey of African Consumers’ Perception Regarding consumer electronics products originating from its three major trading partners-China, Japan and United States of America (U.S.A). The focus of the study is investigating the source of information in evaluating foreign products, The evaluation of the specific product cues used by African consumer in their assessment of electronic products and the ranking of the three countries-China, Japan and USA in terms of the various product attributes. The product category selected for the study includes television sets, Refrigerators, Computers, Electric irons, and digital cameras. The products cues (Dimensions) used for the study comprised of Country of origin image (COI), Brand Familiarity (B.F), Perceived product quality (PPQ), Firms’ trust (F.T), Country reputation (C.R), Economic Animosity (E.A), Perceived product price (PPP), And Product Availability (P.A). Data was collected from two hundred and seventy (270) African consumers in the city of Wuhan Hubei province; Peoples Republic of China. With the aid of statistical packages for social sciences (IBM SPSS 20 VERSION), Paired-sample T test was used to compare the mean ratings of all the eight (8) product dimensions for all the pairs of the three (3) countries. The findings showed that internet advertisement and television are the most important information sources used by African consumers in evaluating foreign electronic products, this was followed by friends’ opinion and the least patronage was radio. The result also disclosed that African consumers don’t consider the country of origin aspect to be their priority in the course of making foreign electronic product purchase, rather other product attributes such as quality and product brand take the precedence. Also revealed from the studies is the ranking of the three countries in terms of the eight product dimensions. It was found that, Japan having highest brand recognition (Brand familiarity), United states would boast of two things, which include high perceived product quality and country reputation. China is leading ahead in terms of cheap product price and availability of their products in almost (if not all) the nooks and crannies of African countries as perceived by African consumers. Finally, in discussing managerial implications, prescriptions were made to marketers from different countries for improving their competitiveness in the emerging African market given the present perceptions of the African consumers.

Some password users are more equal than others: Towards customisation of online security initiatives

Background: Online security is a growing concern and user authentication through passwords remains an important mechanism to protect online assets. Research to date has highlighted the need to address human behaviour but without an indication of where the emphasis of security education, training and awareness (SETA) initiatives should be, beyond improved password practices. Objectives: The aim of this study was to, through analysis of the password behaviour of South African online consumers: (1) understand the prevalence of poor password practices among consumers overall and (2) identify specific password deficiencies prevalent among different demographic groups to be focus areas for tailored intervention programmes. Method: The study uses a quantitative research approach. An online survey was used to gather demographic data, perceptions about online security and applied password practices. A sample of 737 valid responses was analysed for this research. Results: Based on the descriptive analysis of the responses three key observations were made. Firstly, there is a distinct difference in the incidence of poor password practices for all respondents and thus support for tailored interventions. Secondly, there are variances between the practices within different demographic groups that could be used for customisation of interventions. Finally, the different poor practices cannot be uniquely attributed to one particular set of demographics. Conclusion: The study concluded that to improve computer password security in South Africa, password SETA programmes should be customised for areas where individual needs exist and not merely per password practice or demographic group.

Measuring willingness-to-pay for mobile phone features: a multi-region study

Measuring willingness-to-pay for mobile phone features: a multi-region study

Reflections on Consumer Law and Policy in Seychelles

Consumerism only reached Seychelles after a wave of market-liberalization reforms adopted in 2008 as a response to a dire economic crisis. Consumer law is therefore only a recent phenomenon in the country. The main sources of inspiration for Seychelles legislation are the UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection, the EU Directive on unfair contract terms, and the South African Consumer Protection Act. Policy initiatives tend to be modelled either on other small island countries or on Commonwealth countries. The formal legal framework is overall modern and in line with international guidelines. However, the article identifies two sets of challenges encountered in practice. First, local standardization efforts fail to address the matter of poor-quality products entering the market, and this lack of local capacity is insufficiently complemented by reliance on international standards. Secondly, consumers seldom rely on the adjudicatory mechanism provided by consumer laws and informal settlement mechanisms are preferred, which comes at the cost of depriving consumer law operatives of precious interpretative materials, leaving areas of legal uncertainty. While policy guidance from the political sphere would be needed, it is unclear how much attention consumer matters will receive in the medium term.

A Website Quality Model Investigating the Loyalty of South African Consumers towards Travel Websites

Due to the increase in the need for travel by international visitors, it is important that organisations consider key attributes of website quality, namely information quality and system quality to encourage and enhance consumer loyalty overtime. Drawing from Delone and McLean’s theory, this research argues that information quality and system quality are antecedents of travel website quality, of which the latter is a predictor of consumer loyalty. A quantitative research approach was adopted by way of a survey methodology and data were analysed usingSmart PLS software for structural equation modelling (SEM). Based on the theoretical review, a research framework detailing the hypotheses relationships among the research constructs was developed. Based on the research findings, the results provide support for the proposed positive relationships among the research constructs.

A Website Quality Model Investigating the Loyalty of South African Consumers towards Travel Websites

Due to the increase in the need for travel by international visitors, it is important that organisations consider key attributes of website quality, namely information quality and system quality to encourage and enhance consumer loyalty overtime. Drawing from Delone and McLean’s theory, this research argues that information quality and system quality are antecedents of travel website quality, of which the latter is a predictor of consumer loyalty. A quantitative research approach was adopted by way of a survey methodology and data were analysed usingSmart PLS software for structural equation modelling (SEM). Based on the theoretical review, a research framework detailing the hypotheses relationships among the research constructs was developed. Based on the research findings, the results provide support for the proposed positive relationships among the research constructs.

Underlying correlates of consumers’ attitudes towards Chinese apparel and relationship with purchase intention in South Africa

The study examined the influence of South African consumers’ attitudes and purchase intention towards Chinese apparel. A survey of South African consumers who had purchase experience of Chinese apparel was conducted to test the hypothesised relationships. Structural equation modelling results indicated that economic animosity and consumer ethnocentrism are negatively related to attitudes towards Chinese apparel and consumer purchase intention. The study revealed a significant, positive relationship between cosmopolitanism, attitudes towards Chinese apparel and consumer purchase intention. In addition, the findings of the study suggest the importance of cosmopolitanism, consumer ethnocentrism and animosity in market segmentation, targeting, positioning and market potential analysis. The study provides managerial implications for the marketing of Chinese apparel in South Africa.

An econophysics non-monetized theory of value

PurposeMobile phones are radically transforming micro-finance in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Kenya, in particular. The introduction of the micro-financial transaction mobile phone application, “MPesa,” created a means to facilitate micro-transactions without the need for an intermediary, such as a banking system. The purpose of this paper is to posit an econophysics model to predict the value of Mpesa for Kenyan and South African consumers. The econophysics framework posits several fitness matrices and a distance measure that can account for the concepts of mass, distance, momentum, velocity, action, and force. The authors begin with a table of the match between the physics concepts and the economic concepts followed by the vector model that utilizes these concepts for the MPesa application case. In this paper, the authors will argue that MPesa succeeded in Sub-Saharan African countries, such as Kenya, because the fit between what this group of customers needed and the solutions Safaricom’s MPesa offered was a better fit with a smaller distance to adoption than in the South African case.Design/methodology/approachThe research develops an econophysics approach to the assessment of micro-finance development in Sub-Saharan countries.FindingsThe research shows clearly the reasons of the success of MPesa in Kenya in comparison of its relative failure in South Africa: the distance between customers’ expectations and the system supply.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to two case studies and needs to be extended to other contexts, in order to demonstrate its robustness, especially with regard to the intangible dimension, e.g., the distance between a system potential and what it really offers.Practical implicationsThe research shows the importance of system’s characteristics in its success.Social implicationsThe social implications are very high, especially in this case, where micro-finance is a high stake for developing societies.Originality/valueThis is one of the first works to develop an econophysics approach for the evaluation of the key characteristics of a system.

Getting Inside the Skin of the Consumer: Race, Market Research and the Consumerist Project in Apartheid South Africa

This article engages questions of colonial intimacy in the context of the market – specifically, by white commercial sector in apartheid South Africa to lure black South Africans into burgeoning consumer markets. I focus on the 1960s, when the exercise in racial domination grew more ambitious and coercive, at the same time as buoyant economic growth efforts spurred consumerist desire. African consumers were largely invisible and incomprehensible to white businesspeople, who turned to advertisers and market researchers to bring ‘the African consumer’ to light. This was largely an epistemological challenge – the pursuit of new modes of knowledge about African people, and especially the material intimacies of their daily lives. This article examines this knowledge-making project, along with the anxieties, lapses and contradictions that inhered in it.