Roots is South Africa’s longest-running and most comprehensive independent local consumer research survey, conducted at community level, surveying the behaviour of economically active South Africans.

In 2025 it measured, among others, the current use and perceived value of 23 loyalty cards across six researched categories, namely food and groceries; financial services; pharmacy; home shopping; clothing; mobile service providers and garage forecourts.

Shoppers have multiple cards

All shoppers surveyed had at least one loyalty card, but the average number of cards in shoppers’ wallets was seven to eight. Sandton in Joburg’s northern suburbs held the record with an average of nine cards being actively used, while Soshanguve in Tshwane had the lowest average at four cards.

“The number of loyalty cards being used depends on the range of shopping options available within a certain geographical area. In this case, there are more retail stores with loyalty programmes available in the Sandton area than the Soshanguve area, influencing the average number of cards held,” explains Lynne Krog, Spark Media head of research.

“Although it might be assumed that loyalty cards only target people with lower incomes, our research showed that people living in households with an income of less than 10K a month tended to have around five cards in use, while those with an income of 100K or more had 10. Affluent South Africans are just as eager to shop for discounts and get rewards using loyalty cards as lower-income groups,” she adds.

Food and grocery cards #1

Of all the loyalty programmes surveyed, those in the food and grocery sector came out tops, with 96% of consumers using these cards. This was directly aligned with the frequency of food and grocery shopping among consumers across all markets.

This was followed by financial services (73%), pharmacy (66%), clothing/décor (63%), mobile networks (61%) and garage forecourts (46%).

When asked to rank their top three loyalty cards in terms of value and benefits, consumers again chose their food and grocery loyalty programmes over others (90%) followed by financial services (62%) and pharmacy (55%).

At an individual level, Shoprite Xtra Savings was ranked first (58%) for offering the best perceived value and benefits followed closely by Checkers Xtra Savings (55%) and PnP Smart Shopper (53%). Shoprite Xtra Savings was the most widely held card in households with an income less than 10K (65%) while Checkers Xtra Saving was the most widely used in households with an income above 100K (81%).

Financial cards linked to accounts

Within the financial services sector, consumers tended to have fewer loyalty cards – normally only one or two, based on the institutions where they held accounts.

The most widely used cards in the sector were Capitec Live Better, FNB eBucks, Discovery Vitality and Absa Rewards. Standard Bank U Count Rewards and Old Mutual Rewards were equally used, with Nedbank Greenbacks being the least-used card.

Pharmacy cards still led by loyalty pioneer

In the pharmacy sector, only two loyalty programmes ranked: Clicks Club Card and Dis-Chem Benefits.

Clicks was the leader in both use (66%) and its consumer ranking as a top three preferred card (48%). This was compared to Dis-Chem at 33% and 30% respectively.

Clicks Club Card was launched in 1995, and was the first loyalty programme of its kind.

Clothing/home cards record limited use

Clothing and home loyalty cards were not used as much as those in the other sectors (66% of respondents used them).

TFG Rewards (32%), Thank U Card (25%) and PEP Club Card (19%) were used the most, followed by Truworths TruRoyalty (18%), PlusMore (PEPKOR) (15%) and Cotton On Perks (8%).

The portion of consumers using these cards that ranked them in their top three loyalty cards valued PlusMore (27%) the most, followed by TFG Rewards (25%), PEP Club Card (21%), Truworths TruRoyalty (17%), Cotton Perks (13%) and Thank U Card (12%).

Mobile service providers perceived as low value

While 66% of respondents used the loyalty programmes offered by their mobile service providers – Vodacom Vodabucks (36%) and MTN Yellowbucks (29%) – these programmes were perceived as having low value.

When asked to rate the cards in their top three preferred loyalty cards, only 33% of consumers ranked mobile provider programmes. MTN Yellowbucks (34%) was valued by more respondents than Vodacom Vodabucks (28%).

Garage forecourt programmes used the least

Only 46% of consumers used garage forecourt loyalty programmes (although this increased to 76% among car owners), and only 46% of those consumers ranked these cards among their top three most valued cards.

In order of use, Shell V+ (22%), Sasol Rewards (18%) and Total Energy Rewards (14%) took the top spots followed by BP Rewards (12%), Astron Energy Rewards (9%) and Fresh Stop Rewards (8%).

In terms of value, Shell V+ (36%) and Sasol Rewards (33%) maintained top position, but BP Rewards (25%) and Astron Energy Rewards (22%) were ranked above Total Energy Rewards (21%) and Fresh Stop Rewards (13%).

Loyalty cards usage not linked to age

The use of loyalty cards is not generational, but the type of cards used is, reflecting the differing priorities of various age groups.

Gen Z (18-28 years), for instance, were significantly more likely on average to use Capitec, TFG, MTN and Cotton On cards, while Boomers (61+) were significantly more likely to have Dis-Chem, Clicks, Makro and Woolworths cards.

Food and grocery cards, on the other hand, tended to be universal, with all ages having one.

Shoprite, Nedbank market leaders

Interestingly, looking at the cards most likely to be voted number 1 by users in each market (i.e. Gen Z, Boomers, households with a monthly income less than R10K and more than R100K) the winners were Shoprite Xtra savings and Nedbank Greenbacks respectively.

Xtra Savings was ranked first among Gen Z (27%) and households with a monthly income less than R10K (32%), and Greenbacks among Boomers (38%) and households with a monthly income more than R100K (25%).

“This reflects the fact that Shoprite stores are located in densely populated lower-income areas, which also have high numbers of Gen Z consumers. These areas have fewer retail options, so greater value is placed on the loyalty card most accessible. Giving consumers value on everyday purchases is essential,” notes Krog.

Although usage of the Greenbacks card is limited at 8%, this number is significantly weighted towards the upper end of the market, but well represented across ages and races. Among the older and wealthiest users, it is most likely to be rated as the number 1 card for the discounts and specials offered on big-ticket items.

Key takeouts

Consumers expect loyalty programmes from key retailers; offering discounts and promotions alone is not enough. These programmes with their favourable pricing, specials, loyalty points and cash back help consumers feel that they are getting good quality at a reasonable price. They help to build trust among consumers, who don’t want to be taken advantage of.

Ultimately, consumers are loyal to the loyalty card – the benefit offered – and not the retail brand. Consumers will shop wherever they can get the best prices or best value on the items or services they need at that time. Convenience and ease of access also play a role in guiding consumer purchases, more so than loyalty to a specific retailer.

“There is a growing sophistication around loyalty cards and the consumers who use them. Shoppers use multiple sources, including local newspapers, to plan their shopping trips beforehand, looking for the best prices and most value, with loyalty programmes being something of the cherry on top,” Krog concludes.

Do loyalty programmes influence where consumers shop? The jury is still out on that. However, retailers must ensure that loyalty offerings deliver real, tangible value at multiple touchpoints in order to compete in this space and use these platforms to gain critical market share.

Note: Roots 8.1 was commissioned by Spark Media, undertaken by India-based Borderless Access and published by Caxton Media. It surveyed 25 000 adults aged 18+ representing 10.8 million adults and 4.5 million households in 107 communities. Interviews were conducted via an online panel with supplementary face-to-face interviews in communities where digital connection was limited.

This press release was originally published here: https://www.caxtonmedia.co.za/news.php?id=76&a=Y.