Food, fuel and electricity costs push South Africans into survival mode, survey finds
Cautious shoppers are ditching impulse spending in favour of careful planning, price comparisons and discount hunting.
South Africans are experiencing financial strain as food, fuel, and electricity costs continue to rise, pushing them into survival mode, according to a new consumer survey. Conducted by OneDayOnly, the survey of 2,410 online shoppers revealed that 88% are saving more, while 80% wait for sales and promotions before making purchases.
Food prices emerged as the biggest source of financial pressure, followed by fuel and electricity costs, with nearly half of respondents stating they are financially worse off than a year ago. The survey also found that consumers are becoming increasingly disciplined with their spending, abandoning impulse purchases and waiting for sales, and 60% are willing to use AI-powered shopping assistants to compare prices and identify genuine bargains.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Citizen's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
