More than two-thirds of economically active South Africans use loyalty programmes, from retail and banking to fuel and leisure, according to the latest research by the SA customer relationship management and loyalty consultancy Truth and research body BrandMapp.
More than ever, too – 30% claim to be using rewards more now than they did last year.
And their loyalty is fairly widely spread: wealthier consumers use 9.4 programmes each, on average, and mass market consumers 4.8, the Truth & BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper 2023/24 found.
On Wednesday, loyalty brands received their own rewards at a ceremony in Cape Town hosted by Truth, a South African loyalty and CRM consultancy whose CEO, Amanda Cromhout, initiated the awards in 2019.
The two key awards of the night went to FNB eBucks (financial services) and Shoprite Group XtraSavings (retail).
FNB eBucks also scooped the best overall long-term loyalty programme award, as well as awards for the best partnership programme, most innovative use of technology and best short-term loyalty campaign.
The 24-year-old programme gives customers the opportunity to earn and spend eBucks at more than 30 online and in-store partners.
Launched in 2019, Shoprite group’s XtraSavings Rewards is now applied to eight brands, the group claiming that it saves its more than 30 million members about R1 billion in instant cash every month.
READ | High Court orders Cape dealership to take back dodgy SUV it sold five years ago
The programme also won the best newcomer award.
The other headline “best programme of the year” awards went to:
- Restaurant: Spur Family Card
- Travel/hospitality: Legacy Lifestyle
- Fuel: Shell V+
- Telecommunications: Vodacom Vodabucks
- Entertainment/leisure: DStv Rewards
- Relaunched: African Bank Audacious Rewards
The judges also named the Discovery Vitality team as “best loyalty team of the year” in recognition of their creation of a programme which changes customer behaviour for the better, across multiple markets.
READ | Wendy Knowler | Barbie milk: The sugar’s lactic, it’s problematic
“The 2024 South African Loyalty Awards highlighted once again that the South African loyalty industry is thriving in world-class innovation and excellence and driving loyalty performance which most definitely exceeds global standards,” said Cromhout, who is a judge of the Asia Pacific Loyalty Awards and the International Loyalty Awards.
CONTACT WENDY:
