GenNext: What South Africa’s next generation expects from brands
Published November 11, 2025
Forget what you think you know about “young consumers.” South Africa’s youth are purpose natives: they live at the intersection of technology, identity and purpose and they expect brands to show up with more than products. Their message is clear: stop selling, start serving.
The youth market forms roughly half of South Africa’s working-age population, making them the country’s most powerful cultural engine, shaping music, fashion, content and even household purchases. However, their influence extends further: they’re redefining what value means in an era when identity and intention are intertwined.
The Digitas Gen Alpha study — focused on the cohort born from 2010 onwards — reveals that today’s young people are not merely early adopters; they’re early adapters. They expect brands to evolve with them, to respond in real time and to demonstrate shared values, not slogans.
Raised in an always-on environment, Gen Alpha and the younger end of Gen Z have grown up amid political volatility, climate anxiety and social-media transparency. They’ve learned that every post and purchase communicates identity. As a result, they evaluate brands not just by what they offer, but by what they stand for and whether that stance is lived, not performed.
The research reveals that while technology may frame their lives, it’s not their purpose. This generation isn’t dazzled by devices; they’re driven by what those devices enable, from creativity to connection.
Mobile remains their universe. WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are their marketplaces of attention, learning and influence. Yet beneath the scroll lies a deeper expectation that convenience must have a conscience. They want brands that reduce friction and increase fairness.
For South African marketers, that means designing for accessibility first with low-data formats, tap-to-chat customer service and transparent value exchanges. Youth audiences are quick to reward simplicity and even quicker to abandon what feels extractive.
Sustainability, social justice and inclusion have long been buzzwords, but for this generation, they’re baselines. They don’t expect brands to be perfect; they expect them to be honest. The Gen Alpha report highlights a growing demand for “proof, not posture”— an insistence that ethical claims be traceable to real action.
A recycled bottle is now an expectation. A community campaign must produce tangible outcomes, not glossy photos. The youth market wants receipts — where products are sourced, who is employed and what impact has been made.
In a country where economic inequality and environmental stress coexist, this accountability mindset carries extra weight. Brands that empower young people through skills training, digital literacy or entrepreneurship platforms earn disproportionate trust and advocacy.
“They don’t expect brands to be perfect; they expect them to be honest”
Gen Alpha youth don’t want to be spoken to, they want to be invited in. They’re eager collaborators who remix content, vote on designs, influence drops and co-create narratives. They view brands as collaborators in self-expression, not distant corporations.
This shift changes the loyalty equation: the new KPI isn’t repeat purchase, it’s repeat participation. Campaigns that invite contribution build far deeper equity than those that simply push messages. A limited-edition product designed with local creators or a campaign that invites remixing of branded assets can deliver more equity than months of paid media. Participation builds belonging and belonging builds advocacy.
The youth market is hyper-fragmented, moving fluidly between micro-cultures across streetwear, K-pop, amapiano, anime and esports. The days of one-size-fits-all youth marketing are gone. What matters is cultural fluency, not cultural appropriation.
The Digitas study reveals how young consumers reward brands that speak their language authentically, whether through humour, collaboration or community presence. They can spot “borrowed relevance” a mile away. Successful engagement often comes from partnering with credible micro-influencers embedded in niche scenes rather than chasing macro celebrities.
Success lies in speaking with culture, not at it. South Africa’s most resonant youth activations often emerge from campus collectives, music scenes and creator networks rather than celebrity endorsements. Start local. Stay real. Partner with credible micro-influencers who live the culture instead of borrowing its language.
Economic pressure defines much of youth behaviour. South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis means that affordability, fairness and opportunity dominate their choices. In this context, value isn’t a price point, it’s a pathway. A brand that teaches a skill, offers a side-hustle platform or provides zero-rated access to learning material is delivering value in the most practical sense. Loyalty is earned through purpose.
From the Digitas findings and broader market insights, four imperatives emerge for brands that want to connect meaningfully: meet youth where they are on social, mobile, and in the community; invite participation by letting them shape stories and outcomes; speak with fluency and earn your place in their spaces; and integrate sustainability and social contribution into your DNA.