2025 South African CX Report Highlights Rise of Bothism Balancing Technology with Human Connection

The 7th edition of the South African Customer Experience Report has been released (Image supplied)

While effective digital innovation and process efficiency have played a part in improving customer experience (CX), the understanding of the need to balance the use of technology with human input at key moments by brands has to be acknowledged.

This is the central theme of the recently released 2025 South African Customer Experience Report, which focuses on the notion that good CX requires an equilibrium between seemingly opposing forces - technology and humanity, efficiency and empathy, digital and physical.

“Exceptional customer experience is a delicate blend of high-quality products or services, empathetic human connection and the seamless integration of technology to deliver efficient, memorable moments.

“It’s about combining the physical and the intangible to create experiences that resonate. And it can, simply, be described as bothism,” explains the report.

Bothism

A well-known concept in broader marketing circles, particularly in the context of Les Binet and Peter Field’s work on the benefits of combining long-term brand-building with short-term performance marketing, the report says it is time to apply this same philosophy to customer experience.

Bothism also reflects the growing sophistication of the local industry and its practitioners.

“… and highlights the differing perspectives and experiences across various socioeconomic and demographic groups in our consumer panel.

It poses the question, “Is it any surprise that one-size-fits-all solutions don’t work when it comes to creating and receiving exceptional moments for diverse audiences?”

Key findings

The report covers the following topics and trends:

1. Online shopping: There is a shared desire for the convenience of seamless e-commerce combined with the option to visit physical retail spaces - the best of both worlds.
2. Loyalty: This shift reveals that human-led experiences remain the most memorable touchpoints.

   “Yet, without seamless processes and digital infrastructure - the very backbone of CX - these moments can quickly unravel.

   “Once again, the principle of bothism - blending people and process - proves essential to delivering exceptional customer experiences,” states the report.

3. A striking empathy gap between businesses and consumers: Many brands undervalue the emotional drivers that shape customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4. CX delivery progress: This highlights key factors that have contributed to measurable improvements across industries.
5. The increasing complexity of today’s customer journeys. The report asks if the traditional sales funnel has become obsolete – “replaced by a chaotic pinball machine of decision-making”.

   It says, “Consumers now bounce between channels, platforms, and touchpoints, moving unpredictably through the buying process as they seek information and validation before making a purchase.”

6. Has AI’s hype has met reality: With AI offering so much potential to deliver improved experiences at scale, the report explores whether AI’s hype has met reality.

About the Report

The seventh edition of the annual benchmark for insights and analysis into the state of customer experience (CX) in South Africa it was produced by market research company ovatoyou, marketing agency Rogerwilco and Julia Ahlfeldt CX Consulting.

For the report 2 000 South African consumers were polled and their feedback was then coupled with data and opinion from more than 50 business executives who participated in a separate survey, allowing them to compare and contrast the consumer view with the corporate one.

See the full report here.