/HBSA_Shield.png?width=1200&height=1534&name=HBSA_Shield.png)
Henley Africa Centre for Emerging Market Consumer Studies
Who we are
We are an Africa-specific research centre based at Henley Business School Africa and our focus is on understanding African consumers. With an improving business environment and fast-growing population, Africa presents exciting opportunities for businesses – both local and global – especially in retail and distribution.
But the African consumer is little understood, especially given the significant divergence in cultural and business norms across the continent’s 52 countries. Our work aims to delve beneath the surface to create a clearer picture of the trends and forces driving consumers in different African contexts and to support the development of businesses, especially SMEs.
Active research
We work in collaboration with researchers from around the globe to advance African knowledge on consumers and consumer trends. The following research projects are currently active:
Traditional and Islamic retail banking customer perceptions – an emerging market comparison
Prof Danie Petzer from HBS Africa is collaborating with Prof Mornay Roberts-Lombard from the University of Johannesburg on a research project focused on drawing a comparison between the perceptions of traditional and Islamic retail banking customers in South Africa. The study is quantitative in nature and focuses on key relationship marketing constructs, ultimately seeking to understand the differences between customers’ perceptions of retail banking services.
South African consumers’ intentions towards the use of 60-minute mobile grocery shopping apps
Prof Danie Petzer from HBS Africa’s research department is collaborating with Dr Nicole Cunningham from the University of Johannesburg on a research project investigating the adoption of online shopping platforms (60-minute mobile grocery shopping apps) among South African consumers.
Exploring a motivational approach to curb employee theft in fast-moving consumer goods retailing in South Africa
Prof Danie Petzer and Dr Frans van der Colff from HBS Africa are collaborating with Dr Beate Stiehler-Mulder, the Wholesale and Retail SETA Research Chair, on this project. The research is qualitative, with one-on-one interviews and focus groups forming the backbone of the work.
Understanding anti-consumption and related consumer-helping behaviour and skills development of consumers in a services context across different markets
HBS Africa is collaborating on a research project focused on understanding anti-consumption and related consumer-helping behaviour along with the skills development of consumers in a services context across different markets, including an emerging market setting in Africa. This research project is interested in anti-consumption as a form of boycott behaviour of consumers towards a business. The researchers include: Prof Estelle van Tonder (UNISA), Prof Christo Bisschoff, and Prof Leon de Beer from North-West University; Prof Sam Fullerton from Eastern Michigan University (United States); Prof Jungki Lee from Korea University at Sejong (South Korea); and Prof Danie Petzer from HBS Africa.
Inclusive branding in service industries
Prof Danie Petzer from HBS Africa, Prof Nicola Kleyn from Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University (the Netherlands), and Dr Sizakele Marutlulle from GIBS are collaborating on this research project investigating inclusive branding, focusing on consumers’ service experiences of inclusion when interacting with service brands.
Brand avoidance in the South African airline industry
Prof Danie Petzer from HBS Africa and Prof Adele Berndt from Jönköping International Business School (Sweden) are working on a research project that emphasises consumer brand avoidance in the South African airline industry.