“This isn’t the Wild West anymore”

Leading South African digital media agency TDMC (The Digital Media Collective) has welcomed the findings of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA)'s groundbreaking study. The United Kingdom’s professional body for advertising, media and marketing communications agencies published 'The ROI of Influence' in October 2025, revealing some fascinating data, much of which the TDMC team agrees is relevant to South African marketing.

The IPA study analysed 220 campaigns from 144 brands across 28 markets and represented over £133m in influencer spend. It showed that influencer marketing delivers the strongest long-term multiplier effect of any media channel – outperforming even television with a long-term ROI (return on investment) index of 151 versus TV’s 100.

According to TDMC founder and CEO Cheryl Ingram, and strategic director Nicola Ashe, who heads up the agency’s influencer division, the findings validate what they have observed first hand in the South African market since officially launching its influencer division in 2020. “While some might argue that South Africa lags behind markets like the UK in measurement maturity, we have found implementing a robust creator-led strategy exceptionally relevant here,” says Ashe.

The South African advantage

TDMC points to three critical factors that make influencer marketing particularly potent in South Africa:

Mobile-first, creator-ready audiences

With 50.8 million internet users (78.9% penetration) and 34 million social media identities as of early 2026 (www.napoleancat.com), South Africa has both the reach and the behaviour patterns to support scaled influencer activity. Significantly, according to a Meltwater Global Digital Trends 2025 report, 33.6% of South African social media users actively follow influencers, well above the global average of 22%.

A young, digitally native population

South Africa’s median age sits at 27.7 years, placing the country squarely within the demographic sweet spot identified by the IPA study – Gen Z and younger millennials – among whom trust in influencer recommendations reaches 44%, compared to just 26% among the general population.

Cultural nuance as competitive advantage

“What makes South Africa unique is the cultural and linguistic diversity that content creators can authentically navigate,” Ashe explains. “When brands speak directly from corporate pages, we find engagement can flatline. When the same message is delivered through a trusted creator speaking in vernacular, understanding local references, and reflecting lived experience, the results are transformative.”

Beyond the hype: real results from real campaigns

TDMC’s portfolio of over 120 accounts demonstrates measurable impact across categories often considered resistant to influencer strategies. Ashe highlights two of these:

Food

"The partnership between TDMC and Futurelife began in 2020. Since then, creator-led content has become central to brand storytelling and audience engagement," says Keegan Eichstadt, marketing manager of Cereals Portfolio, PepsiCo South Africa. “Creator insights have allowed Futurelife to connect with consumers on an emotional level, aligning our products with lifestyle, values and aspirations rather than just features or price points. Additionally, content creators foster two-way conversations, through comments, live sessions and direct engagement, helping brands to listen, respond and evolve alongside their audiences.”

Health

In 2025, TDMC assisted in implementing a successful influencer strategy for a local FMCG healthcare brand. “Our client has an existing robust traditional media presence, and by adding influencer strategy to their wheelhouse, they have already seen how valuable authentic feedback about their products can be – from viral content to rich conversations and story sharing in communities they might not have reached previously,” says Ashe.

Ingram says these stories aren’t just about vanity metrics: “They are commercial outcomes driven by strategic, always-on creator partnerships – not one-off spray-and-pray activations.”

The South African context: what the IPA study doesn’t reflect

While TDMC applauds the rigour of the IPA research, Ingram cautions against adopting a plug-and-play approach for South African brands:

Trust is fragile and regulation matters

South Africa’s Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) Appendix K and the IAB SA Content Creator Charter mandate clear disclosure around sponsored content and paid partnerships, placing compliance responsibility firmly with brands. “This isn’t the Wild West anymore,” Ingram notes. “Authenticity isn’t just good practice, it’s a legal and ethical requirement. Brands that treat creators as distribution channels rather than strategic partners will fail, and they’ll damage the ecosystem in the process, sowing doubt in a powerful emerging sector.”

Agility trumps production value

Unlike markets where long lead times and heavyweight creative agencies dominate, South African audiences respond to speed, relevance and cultural agility. “Content creators can react to cultural moments, trending conversations, inside-joke comedic trends, and seasonal shifts in real time,” says Ingram. “That’s not a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive necessity in a country as diverse as ours.”

The category question: food, FMCG, and “show don’t tell” sectors

While the IPA study included FMCG campaigns (15% of the total sample), Ingram argues that food and lifestyle categories are uniquely suited to creator-led strategy in South Africa. “In South Africa especially, food is experienced publicly and with many specific cultural nuances – in recipes, budget shops, lunchbox prep and taste tests. It’s inherently visual, socially transmitted and trust dependent. That’s influencer marketing’s natural habitat.”

The million-rand question: How far should brands go?

Ingram is direct about the limits of influencer investment. “The question isn’t ‘how far should we go’, it’s ‘are we treating this channel with the same strategic rigour we apply to TV, out-of-home, or paid search?’ Because the data now says we should be.”

TDMC’s recommendation for South African brands:

1. Build always-on creator engines, not campaign bursts.
   
2. Use creators for jobs that ads can’t do well. Trust in their demonstration, cultural translation and community-building abilities.
   
3. Plan for distribution as seriously as production. Organic posting, paid amplification and retargeting are an essential aspect of the sales journey.
   
4. Measure rigorously. Matched-market tests, geo splits and incrementality analysis must be applied to campaigns.
   

“The UK may be ahead on measurement infrastructure, but South African brands have something more valuable: a young, mobile-native, creator-engaged audience that’s ready to be reached,” says Ingram. The question is whether brands are ready to meet them where they are – and whether they’re prepared to do it properly.”