Discovery takes first 2 places on Ask Afrika Orange Index winners podium

Overall winner, Discovery Bank

“Our banking industry is, generally speaking, delivering excellent CX, with banking brands being six of the top 10 brands in the Ask Afrika Orange Index”, Dr Sarina de Beer, director of Global Products at Ask Afrika says. “Banking brands also showed a nine index point increase in being rated the most authentic brands, compared to the average of five index points across all the industries who showed an increased rating.”

The Ask Afrika Orange Index is considered the most comprehensive CX research study in the country, and measures, among other things, customer satisfaction, emotional satisfaction, and loyalty. South African consumers were interviewed about their real experiences and expectations of 200 brands across 26 industries. The study design involves 154 variables, has 31 core measures, and tests customer experience interactions across 21 contact channels. To ensure the results are a true reflection of reality, the data set is independently audited every year by the auditing firm, BDO, and the statistical consultant and sampling specialist, Dr Ariane Neethling.

Time is our greatest commodity, achieving consistency critical for success

The global pandemic has sparked a period of deep introspection, with people re-evaluating how they spend their time – where, with whom, and for what purpose.

As consumers reflect on the finite value of time, businesses must do the same by reassessing their purpose, customer engagement, and talent strategies.

According to Dr de Beer, time is ever present in and inherent to CX. Time customers spend with a business, for whatever reason, is time they cannot spend on anything else. Achieving consistency on how customers perceive this time spent is the common denominator that shapes everything in this space. Retention is achieved over time, so is advocacy and the Net Promoter Score (NPS*).

Dr Sarina de Beer, director of Global Products at Ask Afrika

“It sounds all very complex, but it really does shape customer expectations. And it also means customers’ expectations are fluid and perhaps too fluid for some models or metrics. Consider a gap analyses, apart from the fact that it is academically a bit ‘old’, where do you choose the base line? What is expected, and by whom? A customer’s very best experience sets the tone of his/her expectations until they experience something different,” De Beer continues.

“This is the benefit of an independent benchmark study. In 2001, the Ask Afrika Orange Index measured just seven industries and 26 companies, compared to this year's 200 brands in 26 industries. A company not only gets its own customer experience results, but can compare their results with category competitors, or they can review the results of businesses in other categories.”

Humans need humans to feel human

Brands, in their never-ending quest for relevance, must dive deep into human experiences, connecting with consumers at an emotional level. The foundation begins with a strong brand culture and purpose. Each person, whether it is an employee or a customer, must feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves, that they are buying into something rather than merely buying something.

Customers’ needs and expectations in terms of CX changes as their environments change. With artificial intelligence (AI) being an everyday reality in many people’s lives, the data have revealed that are incredibly important for successful CX strategies. “Humans need humans to feel human, and businesses successfully delivering CX understand that all their interactions across an omni-channel experience must be perceived and experienced as human, even when a specific interaction is digital or through AI,” De Beer mentions. “Both CX and brand strategies must centre around the authentic translation of that sense of humanity to achieve business success.”

Human interaction infuses empathy in an authentic way, and a personal touch in each customer interaction create emotional connections that resonate deeply. Customers want to feel seen and heard, and it's through real conversations, whether in person or on digital channels.

The rise of authentic happiness

Amidst today's economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, people are re-calibrating their pursuit of happiness with tempered expectations. The 2024/5 data highlights a growing focus on investing time, resources, and energy into finding balance and forging new relationships based on hope, trust, and connection. This shift inevitably influences customer expectations in their interactions with businesses.

"Customers increasingly seek positive experiences when engaging with brands. When they associate a brand with happiness, they're more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend it to others," says De Beer.

The strategic value of CX in business success

"It's important to understand that the Ask Afrika Orange Index is not a just tactical measurement only providing a ranking per industry. The survey is a localised strategic measure that directs and supports leadership decisions on customer relevance,” explains De Beer. “Ultimately, the Ask Afrika Orange Index is not just an evaluation tool but a catalyst for growth and innovation, enabling businesses to deliver superior value to customers and maintain industry leadership.”

The strategic value of the survey can clearly be seen in the fact that only 16 brands have achieved overall winner status in the 23 years the Ask Afrika Orange Index has been in existence.

“Companies that have a good long-term CX strategy in place feature in the top positions frequently. This again links to my earlier mention of consistency being a critical component. Banks and private banks have achieved first position five times, food retail brands five times, clothing retail brands five times, and automotive brands four times. These four industries account for more than 80% of the overall wins!” De Beer concludes.

The 2024/25 Ask Afrika Orange Index Top 10 are as follows:

1. Discovery Bank
   
2. Discovery Private Bank
   
3. Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)
   
4. African Bank
   
5. Investec Bank
   
6. Mercedes-Benz
   
7. Lexus
   
8. Woolworths Food
   
9. Audi
   
10. Nedbank Private Banking
    

The 2024/25 Ask Afrika Orange Index industry winners are as follows:

Companies that would like to obtain more information about their brand's CX performance in the Ask Afrika Orange Index can contact Maria Petousis at az.oc.akirfaksa@airam.

*Nett Promoter Score: NPS is a market research metric that is based on a single survey question asking respondents to rate the likelihood that they would recommend a company, product, or a service to a friend or colleague.