CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa Insights Series Absa | Corporate and Investment Banking > Absa insights series > Consumer Insights Our foresight assists your business’s sustainable growth potential We have created a platform for our sector experts to provide data driven insights that will help your business adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. SECTOR EXPERTISE Matching Foresight with Sustainable Possibilities As global and continental economies change, we’re faced with new challenges and opportunities. As a bank committed to the sustainable development of our African continent, we partner with our clients to navigate this changing world, sharing deep insights and learnings on key sectors, many of which have been disrupted by the global pandemic. Through the Absa Insights Series, we help our clients unlock their full growth potential through sustainable opportunities and solutions, ensuring a future for them, our planet and for generations to come. As the playing field for consumer products and services is constantly shifting, we extract practical business insights so you can respond effortlessly at every step of your growth journey. Contact us Isana Cordier, Head of Consumer Goods and Services, shares ideas around growing our economy and provides some insights on consumer trends. Consumer Sector Insights Unlocking your business's potential with insight and sustainable solutions. CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: September 2024 Is the two-pot retirement system giving consumers extra money to spend? We know the financial health of the consumer has been under strain for a prolonged period, leading to a decline in card spending and volumes. The latest Merchant Spend Analytics reports how consumers may be using a portion of their two-pot retirement system payouts to settle short-term debt and restore household spending. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: August 2024 Is the two-pot retirement system giving consumers extra money to spend? We know the financial health of the consumer has been under strain for a prolonged period, leading to a decline in card spending and volumes. The latest Merchant Spend Analytics reports how consumers may be using a portion of their two-pot retirement system payouts to settle short-term debt and restore household spending. Read more BLACK FRIDAY SA Shoppers Should Brace for Fewer Black Friday Bargains American novelist, Herman Melville once wrote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” This quote felt apt as we review consumer habits and the annual “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” trade events. Read more IMPACT MATTERS SERIES Black Friday 2024 Black Friday, once synonymous with long queues, crowded stores, and deep discounts, seems to be losing its luster. 2023 marked a significant shift in Black Friday spending patterns compared to the previous year. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: July 2024 Consumers are feeling the pinch! South African consumers’ financial health is under significant strain due to inflation, high interest rates and global economic challenges which have burdened them with debt. Despite a slight increase in real take-home pay for consumers, the growth is insufficient to keep up with the rising cost of living and high levels of debt. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Absa’s Merchant Spend Analytics: June 2024 We are pleased to share the latest Merchant Spend Analytics report. As a leading merchant acquirer, we pride ourselves on using a unique vantage point into consumer spending insights to guide your business through today’s spending trends. Read more CONSUMER INSIGHTS Understand retail’s Most Valuable Player: the customer Navigating the vast consumer goods and services environment during a time of rapid change does not need to be daunting. Read more Podcasts How The AfCFTA will enable digital trade In this podcast, we explore the opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area’s protocol on digital trade. What will it mean for cross-border trade, and what do African businesses need to know? Podcasts The AfCFTA and Africa’s Existing Regional Economic Communities Africa is a patchwork of independent and overlapping regional economic blocs. Rather than simplifying matters, the African Continental Free Trade Area adds an extra layer of complexity for businesses trading on the continent. In this podcast, we untangle the mess. Podcasts What Does The AfCFTA Mean For Africa? The African Continental Free Trade Area is now active, bringing with it the promise of significantly easier intra-continental trade. CONSUMER INSIGHTS Is it time to reimagine Black Friday in the African context? Consume This, CGS Monthly: Volume 3, Black Friday 2023. The latest edition of the Consume This newsletter is here and this time, we are unpacking how the relationship between African consumers and consumer events has taken a turn. Read more BLACK FRIDAY Is it time to re-imagine Black Friday in the African context? American novelist, Herman Melville once wrote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” This quote felt apt as we review consumer habits and the annual “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” trade events. Read more Latest Podcasts Episode 08 Linda Kimani Head of Card Payments at Absa Bank Kenya Absa Group Consumer Insights Inside Kenya’s Digital Retail Boom Black Friday and Cyber Monday SMEs are relatively new events on the Kenyan retail landscape. In our Absa Insights podcast Linda Kimani, Head of Card Payments at Absa Bank Kenya, explains how digital adoption is driving these year-end sales – and changing the face of Kenyan retail. Episode 07 Isana Cordier and Chriszelle Joseph Sector Head of Consumer Goods & Services and Chriszelle Joseph, Senior Coverage Banker Absa Group Consumer Insights Banking on a Black Friday boost South Africa’s retail sector is hoping for a year-end boost through the annual Black Friday sales. Will it happen? Absa CIB’s Isana Cordier, Sector Head of Consumer Goods and Services, and Chriszelle Joseph, Senior Coverage Banker, unbox the trends as we enter shopping’s silly season. Episode 03 Dion Chang Trend Analyst and Founder of Flux Trends Absa Group Consumer Insights Through the great staggering to a better normal Dion Chang says lockdown has fast-tracked positive change in not just the retail sector. Load More × We help you achieve your sector growth ambitions Our highly experienced teams of sector specialists have an in-depth understanding of the industry within which you operate. They offer sector-specific knowledge, skills and experience to help you take the lead in your industry. Learn more Experience Absa Insights 2021 All sectors Absa insights series View all HospitalityThere’s no denying that the travel and Tourism industry was one of the hardest hit due to the various travel restrictions that were imposed, amongst other challenges. Read more Resources and Energy InsightsA report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that Africa will be the most populated region in the world by 2040, surpassing China and India. While this increase in population presents challenges for the continent, there are exciting opportunities unfolding in the resource and energy sector. Read more Healthcare InsightsThe ability to roll out credible, sustainable and high-volume Covid-19 vaccination programs will likely be the single biggest driver of economic recovery in Africa over the next 24 months. Economies that fail to execute on this will be left behind as global trading resumes. Africa is a net importer of goods and services, therefore with the closing of borders and a vaccination rate of < 2% of Africa’s 1.2 billion population, it will leave the continent well behind the rest of the world. The cost will be devastating. We therefore need to increase our efforts in the most collaborative way. Read more Telecommunications, Media and Technology InsightsIn the next part of our insights series, we’re discussing Telecommunications, Media and Technology – and how they can unlock limitless possibilities in Africa. Traditionally the provider of voice, data connectivity and mobile payments solutions, the telecommunication sector, is now using technology to build an entire ecosystem around the individual consumer. Read more Enterprise and Supplier Development InsightsIn the next part of the Absa Insights series we discuss Enterprise and Supplier Development across Africa. Small and medium-sized businesses are likely to lead the economic recovery on the African continent, but until they can secure a genuine foothold in corporate value chains, the sector is likely to be dominated by a handful of players who had early-mover advantage and access to finance. Read more Consumer Insight SeriesAs the playing field for consumer products and services is constantly shifting, we extract practical business insights so you can respond effortlessly at every step of your growth journey. Read more Agriculture Insight SeriesWith expertise in the agricultural sector, we offer our clients valuable insights at every step of their growth journey. These strategic partnerships help them unlock their full financial potential with foresight and sustainable solutions. Read more Let us contact you Our representatives will get back to you in 3 working days Contact Form Share your details with us and a banking expert will get in touch you at your convenience. CONTACT INFORMATION Name Surname Job title Company name Company e-mail address Contact number (with country code) Are you an existing Absa client? Yes No I would like to sign up for marketing communications from Absa CIB Continue By clicking Continue, I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. Contact us 0860 500 703 +27 (0) 10 211 3117 rsc.corpprc@absa.co.za Subscribe for quarterly updates Analysis and data-driven insights for a changing world – delivered directly to your inbox. 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