By Everson Luhanga
- The Truth and BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper 2025/6 includes more than 36,000 adults and reflects behaviour of over 23-million South Africans.
- South Africans averaged 4.6 loyalty programmes per person in 2015. By 2025, that figure had more than doubled to 10.4.
South Africans are turning to loyalty programmes in bigger numbers, using cashback and discounts to cope as food and living costs keep rising.
The Truth and BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper 2025/6 shows 85% of South Africans now use loyalty programmes. That is up from 82% the previous year. The study includes more than 36,000 adults and reflects the behaviour of over 23-million people.
What started as small rewards has become part of how many families manage their money each month. Consumers say these programmes are no longer optional. They choose them based on how much they can save and how useful the partners are.
The number of programmes people use has grown fast. In 2015, the average person used 4.6 programmes. By 2025, that number more than doubled to 10.4 programmes per person.
Checkers Xtra Savings is now the most used loyalty programme in the country, slightly ahead of Clicks ClubCard. FNB eBucks leads in banking among higher income consumers. Capitec Live Better is the most used among lower income consumers.
Spur Family Card leads in restaurants. When consumers were asked which programme they cannot live without, Discovery Vitality ranked highest among higher income earners. Capitec ranked highest among lower income earners.
Truth chief executive Amanda Cromhout said: “Consumers not only like cashback, they need the financial support from loyalty programmes.”
The report also found that many people still prefer using physical loyalty cards. Swiping a card remains more popular than using apps, even as digital options grow.
Pictured above: Checkers Xtra Savings.
Image source: Shoprite
