South Africans aren’t necessarily spending less—they’re spending differently. With every hike in fuel, food, electricity, and now the looming possibility of a VAT increase, people are being forced to make sharper choices.
But sharper doesn’t mean fewer. It means smarter. It means making sure that every rand works harder. That every product delivers more than just one kind of value.
Muzi Mthombeni is a director at Wonder.
Survival strategy
In this context, the brands that are winning are the ones offering more than a single-purpose promise. The ones that show up with this and that. Affordability and quality.
Utility and social capital. Convenience and consistency. In today’s South Africa, duality is no longer a clever brand play—it’s a survival strategy.
Of course, this isn’t a brand-new idea. Our parents already knew the value of stretch. A product that could do more was always a better buy. But today, economic pressure is accelerating that mindset. Duality used to be a competitive edge. Now, it’s the baseline.
Just look at vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. These humble kitchen staples have become stars of the modern household—thanks in no small part to the rise of TikTok creators like Mbali Nhlapo, whose cleaning content has shown just how versatile they are. Stains, smells, grime—they sort it all out. They’re affordable, yes, but more importantly, they’re adaptable. That’s what consumers want now. Not just low price. High utility. Multi-use. Stretch.
And that logic extends beyond pantry basics. It’s shaping how people think about major purchases too—like cars.
According to BusinessTech, sales of premium German cars like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have declined by over 60% in the last decade. That’s not a fluke. It’s a signal. People are questioning whether they need to pay that much just to access features and status. And increasingly, the answer is no.
Instead, they’re turning to brands like Haval and Chery, whose combined growth has shot up by over 1,000%. These brands are delivering premium styling, advanced safety, and high-end tech—but without the financial pressure. They’ve collapsed the old equation of "prestige equals price." In doing so, they’ve redefined aspiration. You don’t need a German badge to feel elevated anymore. You just need something smart, stylish, and sensibly priced. This and that.
Legacy players have noticed. Volkswagen recently announced a R4 billion investment into their Kariega plant, reaffirming their commitment to local production of the Polo and Polo Vivo. ( Rola ) These models have become symbolic of a new kind of status—products that carry both trust and value. VW understands that people want more, not more expensive.
It’s the same in the grocery aisle. While Woolies still holds the crown for quality, Checkers is dominating where it counts—delivering reliable quality paired with unmatched convenience. Sixty60 isn’t just a delivery service—it’s a lifestyle utility. It’s what turns an average Tuesday into a solved problem. When Woolies Dash can’t deliver on time, or at all, people shift. Because in this market, even a slight edge in accessibility can outweigh superiority.
Quiet cool
Duality also matters in moments of social interaction—where what you bring says as much as who you are. That’s where a brand like Savanna shines. It’s not just a cider.
It’s a social equaliser. It works across genders, across spaces, and across personality types. Bringing a Savanna to the braai says: “I came prepared for everyone.” That’s utility and status in a single pack. It’s functional and cultural.
Refreshing and socially intelligent. It carries its own quiet cool.
Where brands can’t achieve duality alone, they’re increasingly teaming up to do it together. Look at the FNB x Pick n Pay partnership. It’s not just a rewards programme. It’s a collaboration that makes everyday spending work harder. Earn while you shop, save while you bank. Convenience and incentive. Two ecosystems coming together to create dual value.
This is the environment we’re marketing in. One where single-lane offerings feel shallow. One where every consumer touchpoint is under more scrutiny. In a moment where every purchase—down to toothpaste—is feeling the pressure of inflation, a weak rand, and yes, even that proposed VAT hike, brands need to show up with layered reasons to buy.
Duality is the unlock. It’s what gives consumers the confidence to spend. It’s what gives them justification to stick with you, even when they could be cutting back.
This doesn’t mean your brand has to do everything. But it does mean you need to think in layers. Don’t just solve a problem—elevate the experience. Don’t just offer price—offer pride. Don’t just show up—show you get it.
For marketers, this means rethinking how we brief, how we position, how we innovate. We need to get more cross-functional in our thinking. A good product feature is no longer enough. A clever campaign is no longer enough. We need to build brands that serve people and signal something. That save money and save time. That are useful and desirable.
So next time someone in the room asks, “What’s our brand’s single-minded proposition?”—pause.
And instead, ask: “What’s the ‘and’ of our brand?”
Because in this market, and in this moment, if you’re not delivering this and that, you’re not delivering enough.
