When it comes to clicking "buy", South African shoppers care far more about peer feedback than polished brand campaigns.
According to the "Online Retail in SA 2026" report by World Wide Worx, customer reviews (28.4%) and price promotions (26.9%) are the absolute strongest drivers of online purchases.
With traditional ads, influencers, and AI tools falling far behind, digital consumers are relying on real social proof, clear return policies, and secure payment options to navigate new products with confidence.
Online search was next at 13.6%, followed by creators and influencers at 7.6%, while AI-generated recommendations were selected by just 4.6%.
Traditional brand advertising had a much smaller influence on purchasing decisions.
The findings come from a survey of 1 400 South African online shoppers conducted for the 2026 report.
Reviews build confidence
The importance of other people's experiences becomes more relevant when consumers are considering a product they have not bought before.
Customer reviews were the most important factor, selected by 28.4% of respondents. Clear returns and refund policies were selected by 22.4%, while a recognised secure payment method was selected by 17.4%.
Advertising from the brand itself accounted for only 5.4%.
The findings suggest that when shoppers are unfamiliar with a product, information that reduces uncertainty is more influential than seeing more advertising.
Reviews provide valuable information about how a product performs in everyday use, with return policies and recognised payment methods addressing some of the concerns around making a purchase from an unfamiliar seller.
Price still matters
While reviews are important, price remains almost as influential.
Price promotions were identified by 26.9% of consumers as the strongest influence on an online purchase. This puts value alongside social proof as one of the two most significant factors in the decision-making process.
The report also identifies a broader shift towards a more deliberate online shopping journey.
Consumers are not just responding to the presence of a product or a brand but are comparing information, looking for value and using other customers' experiences to help make purchasing decisions.
That does not mean brand recognition has disappeared; rather, the survey shows that when consumers are deciding what to buy online, practical information and evidence from other shoppers can carry considerable weight.
Trust remains important
The survey found that confidence in the mechanics of online shopping is improving, but trust in the broader transaction remains more complicated.
Only 20.7% of online shoppers agreed that entering their personal details online is safe, according to the report's findings on digital confidence and trust.
This helps explain why reviews, refund policies and secure payment options feature prominently when consumers are considering unfamiliar products.
The report also found that payment preferences are divided between several methods. Instant EFT or automated bank transfer was the most commonly preferred option at 16.4%, followed by debit cards at 15.3%, saved card details at 10.6%, credit cards at 9.3% and Capitec Pay at 9.1%.
Speed and security were the two strongest reasons given for payment preferences, at 26.1% and 23.9% respectively.
The changing role of influencers
Creators and influencers have become an established part of online marketing, but the survey puts their influence into perspective.
Only 7.6% of consumers identified creators or influencers as the strongest influence on an online purchase.
AI-generated recommendations were even lower at 4.6%.
Online search performed better, at 13.6%, indicating that consumers continue to actively look for information rather than relying entirely on recommendations appearing in their feeds.
Local platforms remain important
South Africans continue to use a mixture of local and international online shopping platforms.
Local platforms remain the primary shopping channel for 43.6% of respondents, although this was down from 48% in 2025. Retailer websites increased from 13% to 14.6%, while international platforms rose from 9% to 10.6%.
Almost three in 10 respondents, or 29.6%, said they now buy from local platforms at least once a week, compared with 21% in 2025.
Takealot remained the most frequently used local platform at 39.9%, although its lead narrowed from 45% in the previous survey.
Checkers Sixty60 remained at 16.9%, while Woolworths increased to 10.5% and Makro to 7.9%.
Among households earning more than R100 000 a month, Checkers Sixty60 had moved to within three percentage points of Takealot, with usage of 20% compared with Takealot's 22.9%.
Shopping is becoming more informed
The overall picture is of an online shopper who has become more familiar with digital retail but is still looking for reassurance before spending money.
Reviews, promotions, return policies and payment security all feature strongly in the decision-making process.
The report also found that 69.6% of online shoppers said they were likely to increase their online shopping over the next 12 months, up from 57% in 2025.
As online shopping becomes a larger part of South African retail, the findings suggest that the route to a purchase is not just about getting a product in front of a consumer.
The decision also involves checking what other customers experienced, comparing the price and making sure there is a clear way out if the purchase does not work out.
Willem.vdputte@nationalmg.co.za