Market research
in Southern Africa
Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean since 1999.
From the continent's most mature market to growing ones
Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean bring together highly contrasting markets, from the continent's most developed, South Africa, to growing Lusophone (Angola, Mozambique) and island (Madagascar) markets. The region is marked by advanced modern retail, strong linguistic diversity and dynamic regional integration. IMMAR runs Market Intelligence programmes here with teams that know these markets from the inside and collect data in the languages actually spoken.
Conducting research in Southern Africa: what matters in the field
Running reliable research in the region means taking several market realities into account:
- Retail and research maturity: South Africa offers the continent's most advanced modern-retail and research environment, enabling sophisticated methodologies (retail panels, audience measurement, e-commerce).
- Contrasts in maturity: between a highly developed South African market and growing Lusophone or island markets, set-ups must be calibrated case by case.
- Linguistic diversity: English and Afrikaans, Bantu languages (Zulu, Xhosa, among others), Portuguese (Angola, Mozambique) and French or Malagasy (Madagascar). Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
- Regional integration: the expansion of South African retail chains and regional agreements (SADC, AfCFTA) shape cross-border competitive landscapes.
- Dual distribution: modern retail dominant in South Africa, but informal trade still significant in the other markets.
- Rise of e-commerce: online commerce is growing fast, particularly in South Africa, opening new measurement points along the purchase journey.
The Southern African and Indian Ocean markets covered by IMMAR
IMMAR operates across the region's markets. Country overview, from west to east:
Angola
A Lusophone market with an economy historically driven by oil, with Luanda as its major urban centre. A growing consumer market where South African retail chains are present. Portuguese is the official language.
South Africa
The most developed and mature consumer market in Africa: dominant modern retail, discerning consumers, growing e-commerce and advanced research infrastructure. A multilingual country (English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa and others), structured around Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Mozambique
A coastal Lusophone market, low-income but growing, with Maputo as its hub and South African retail present. Portuguese is the official language.
Madagascar
An Indian Ocean island market, French-speaking, with Malagasy as the national language. Antananarivo is its main hub. A distinct economy with a strong agricultural component.
IMMAR adapts its set-up to each market (collection mode, administration language, sampling plan) to produce data that is comparable from one country to the next across the region.
A response built around your question
Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:
| Area of expertise | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Consumer Research | Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage |
| Customer Experience | NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered |
| Data Intelligence & AI | Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling |
| Media Intelligence | Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening |
| Opinion & Society | Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics |
Who is it for?
- Advertisers and brands, local and international, seeking to understand their consumers and steer their brands
- Marketing and media agencies seeking reliable insights for their clients on markets they cannot cover alone
- Local economic players, companies and regional groups, making decisions on their own markets
- Multinationals assessing a regional market entry or expansion and looking to secure their decisions
- Institutions, NGOs and development funders requiring rigorous measurement on complex field environments
A market research or Market Intelligence project in Southern Africa or the Indian Ocean?
Talk to an IMMAR expertFrequently asked questions
How do you conduct market research in Southern Africa?
Work with sharp contrasts in maturity, between a highly developed South Africa and growing Lusophone or island markets, and with broad linguistic diversity (English, Afrikaans, Bantu languages, Portuguese, Malagasy). IMMAR deploys local teams that know these markets for reliable, comparable data.
Which countries in the region does IMMAR cover?
IMMAR covers South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar, with English-, Portuguese- and French-language set-ups adapted to the languages and maturity level of each market.
Why is South Africa a benchmark market?
South Africa has the continent's most mature modern-retail and research environment: dominant supermarkets, discerning consumers, growing e-commerce and advanced measurement. It enables sophisticated methodologies (retail panels, audience measurement) and often serves as a regional benchmark.
Which expertise areas does IMMAR mobilise in the region?
IMMAR brings together five complementary areas of expertise: Consumer Research, Customer Experience, Data Intelligence & AI, Media Intelligence and Opinion & Society, mobilised according to the question at hand and the market's maturity.
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