THANDI XABA
According to a recent survey, South African consumers are making more ethical decisions when purchasing products.
Experts call it ethical consumerism which means buying products which were ethically produced and are not harmful to the environment and society.
The survey further indicates the country’s consumers are well on their way in making choices that reflect social responsibility.
CEO of Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Gwarega Mangozhe says being an ethical consumer can also involve watching food miles, meaning how much energy was used getting the product to consumers.
"It is as basic as you going into a shop and buying eggs that are free range or chicken that is free range. Some of the products that could be classified as ethical products include organic produce, fair trade goods, energy-efficient light bulbs, electricity from renewable energy, recycled paper and wood products," he says.
Mangozhe adds that this survey presupposes that forward thinking brands can take advantage of this opportunity to position themselves at the heart of the new, green economy, evolving the market to meet consumer needs in more sustainable ways.
He further says, "pressure groups regularly identify companies not selling ethical products and the Ethical Consumer Research Association also publishes details in its magazine. However, in our view, deciding what to buy and what not to buy can be as tricky as deciding which ethical fund to invest in."
According to UK-based Forum for the Future, consumers’ behaviour and expectations will change, and we should expect growing demand for manufacturers and retailers to operate responsibly and to demonstrate this through transparent value chains. We believe this trend will also become more and more apparent in South Africa, given the sophistication of our consumers who also follow and monitor global trends.
"Businesses globally and in South Africa need to carefully examine how well they are meeting the evolving ethical expectations of consumers. They will be simultaneously responding to ethical consumerism trends and figuring out “how to remain profitable yet sustainable in a flat economy," says Mangozhe.
