South African consumers use AI for everyday problem-solving, including product research and price comparison. (Image source: iStock)
As local consumers contend with the tough economic climate, they are increasingly prioritising artificial intelligence (AI) search as the first port of call for their shopping needs.
This is one of the findings in the 2026 South African Customer Experience (CX) Report, which has just been released.
The report is annually produced by co-authors Rogerwilco CEO Charlie Stewart, online research platform Ovatoyou founding director Amanda Reekie and Julia Ahlfeldt of Julia Ahlfeldt CX Consulting.
It has been tracking consumers’ online and offline behaviour since 2019, to understand how brands’ retail experiences affect customers and their purchasing power. Some 2 000 people were surveyed online for this year’s report, alongside 56 business leaders across various sectors.
According to the report, while 72% of consumers report their financial position has either stagnated or deteriorated over the past year, AI search has empowered them with access to detailed product and price information.
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The largest use case for AI among South African consumers is information seeking, including product research, price comparison and fact-finding, it states.
Consumers are also using AI to obtain practical guidance, writing support and technical troubleshooting, alongside other specialised and entertainment-focused use-cases.
The report highlights that nearly a quarter of consumers (23%) use AI tools – ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Claude and Perplexity – to compare products and prices, find discounts and deals, and “ask anything” questions.
“While current and prospective customers want deals, discounts and value, they are using AI search before engaging with an actual brand or business,” it states.
“Consumers increasingly expect information to be available immediately, easy to understand and capable of answering anything that matters to them. The quality of any organisation’s digital footprint has therefore become part of the customer experience itself,” adds Stewart.
Despite this trend, the report reveals three-quarters of the companies surveyed do not have an active strategy to manage how they appear in AI-generated answers.
AI is becoming less of a novelty and more of an everyday decision-support tool.
The findings mirror research that found South African shoppers are relying on AI tools to guide their shopping decisions, including comparing prices, finding ideas and checking reviews or product ratings. AI tools are also used for brainstorming gift ideas, researching products and interacting with customer service platforms.
Earlier this year, the SpendTrend26 report, compiled by Discovery Bank and Visa, found that 40% of surveyed South African shoppers are relying on AI tools on a weekly basis to guide their shopping decisions. The surge in adoption signals a shift toward what is called “disciplined and strategic” consumerism in a constrained economic environment.
The SpendTrend report highlighted that AI is no longer just a backend technology for retailers; it is a front-facing tool for shoppers and is increasingly reshaping how purchasing behaviour is evolving.
According to the CX report, AI use is moving beyond search into action.
The next stage in the AI-assisted commercial transaction chain is called agentic commerce, where purchases or commercial actions are initiated, negotiated, or completed by an AI agent on behalf of a user or business, often with minimal human involvement.
Some 67% of consumers say they would be comfortable with AI to fill a shopping cart, with 62% saying they would be comfortable to place a meal-delivery order online, it indicates. Around half say they would hand over the reins to AI to book travel or even medical appointments.
“AI is more than just another Google,” notes Ahlfeldt. “Consumers aren’t only using it to find information; they’re starting to use it to make decisions and take action on their behalf.”
On the other side of the customer journey, the report shows that when consumers need help solving a problem, one in four turns to AI for answers. However, just 7% of businesses recognise this, with a third (32%) still assuming customers would rather call a contact centre.
