KFC Leads YouGov Buzz Index Reflecting A New Era Of Authentic And Omnichannel Marketing In SA

The KFC at Epsom Downs Shopping Centre, Bryanston, Sandton (image source: © Eva-Last Eva-Last

Consumer insights consultancy KLA, the exclusive partner for YouGov in sub-Saharan Africa, hasreleased the eleventh edition of The Quarterly Buzz, revealing South Africa's most talked-about brands.

This quarter's results, measuring consumer sentiment from July to September 2025, showcase shifts in the landscape.Q3 2025's results confirm that the marketing landscape isn't simply shifting from traditional to digital – it's becoming genuinely omnichannel.

In an era of digital saturation, consumers are placing renewed value on peer recommendations and authentic experiences.

Consumers don't see channels; they see brands. The question isn't whether to use TV or TikTok, magazines or Meta.

The data reveals that South African consumers engage with brands across multiple touchpoints – from TV ads to TikTok, from radio spots to retail experiences.

This isn't about choosing between traditional and digital anymore.

The winners are those who understand it's not about picking channels; it's about orchestrating them.

It's also about how to show up consistently, authentically, and memorably across every touchpoint that matters to your audience.

The brands winning the Buzz battle understand this fundamental truth: in today's fragmented media landscape, presence isn't enough.

You need orchestration, integration, and above all, a clear understanding of how each channel contributes to your brand story.

The Big Movers

1. KFC

   KFC's ascent to the top spot comes after steady improvements across eight key metrics, successfully building both brand visibility and consumer engagement. KFC enhanced both its top-of-the-funnel visibility and bottom-funnel conversion metrics, creating sustained momentum that pushed them past traditional leaders.

2. Pick n Pay

   Pick n Pay emerges as the quarter's standout performer, moving from 8th to 2nd place through marginal but consistent improvements across 12 of 15 tracked metrics.

3. Brand momentum

   Not all brands maintained their momentum. Woolworths Food, last quarter's champion, dropped six positions to 7th place, while Shoprite made its first appearance since January 2025, entering at position 18.

   Meanwhile, Checkers climbed two positions and Clicks surged four ranks to reclaim its Q1 position at 5th place, driven by a significant improvement in reputation and positive progress across eight metrics.

Sector specific results

Sector-specific results for Q3 of 2025 highlight a relatively stable top five within each sector, with a few new entrants across the eight sectors tracked – notably, Truworths within the Clothing and Footwear sector.

Media channels

• The Food, groceries and consumables sector continues its historical dominance of the top 10, but beneath this stability lies interesting sector-specific dynamics.
• Banking & Telecom remain steady, with trusted, high-visibility channels continuing to drive engagement. Both sectors show that when consumer trust is paramount, traditional approaches still work.
• Restaurants tell a different story, where digital and social media reign supreme despite slight declines in radio and word-of-mouth. For this sector, the digital-first approach isn't just working – it's essential.
• Clothing retailers are witnessing an interesting shift as apps and magazines gain traction while social media dips slightly. Yet digital remains the undisputed king of fashion retail engagement.
• Food & groceries are experiencing a traditional media renaissance. TV, radio, magazines and word-of-mouth all climbed the rankings, suggesting that in-store experiences and traditional touchpoints are regaining their influence over grocery shoppers.
• Home sector marketers should take note. Radio jumped an impressive five positions, with TV and word-of-mouth also rising. The data suggests broadcast media offers untapped potential for reaching home improvement consumers.

The channel revolution

While digital, TV and social media maintain their grip on the top three positions for brand recall, the real story lies in what's happening beneath the surface.

Social media consistently ranks third across all sectors – reliable, but not gaining ground.

The surprise winner? Good old-fashioned Word of Mouth.

Word of Mouth has climbed across five sectors – insurance, clothing, furniture, fuel, and more.

What this means to marketers

There are three things smart marketers should do now:

1. Dust off those traditional media plans

   TV and radio are showing surprising strength in sectors where trust and passive reach matter. Don't abandon them just yet.

2. Pay attention to the middle tier

   While everyone fights for the top channels, apps, magazines, and word-of-mouth are quietly shifting consumer attention. These could be your competitive advantage.

3. Invest in customer advocacy

   With Word of Mouth climbing across multiple sectors, your best marketers might be your current customers. Are you giving them reasons to talk?

About The Quarterly Buzz

The Quarterly Buzz, powered by YouGov's BrandIndex platform, continuously tracks public sentiment across more than 200 brands in South Africa.

The tool measures 16 different metrics spanning the entire marketing funnel, with the standout "Buzz" metric capturing whether consumers have encountered positive or negative brand information in the past two weeks. Scored from +100 to -100, these rankings offer a real-time pulse check on brand performance relative to competitors.