Latest figures show that consumer spending in South Africa declined to 1.94 billion from 1.95 billion in the first quarter of 2019. This small but significant reversal of an historically upward trend is especially bad news for a purchasing-led economy as ours.

“Last year, South African consumers bought more than they have ever bought and this consumption of primarily locally-made goods and services helped plug certain GDP holes,” says Shaun Rosen, CEO of Johannesburg-based mobile advertising firm, Mobiclicks.

“While also making provision for savings, South Africans need to keep spending to keep the economy ticking over. With the country’s smartphone penetration rate now over 80%, according to ICASA, its great news Mobiclicks has launched technology to make videos shoppable,” Mr Rosen says.

He explains that Mobiclicks this month signed an agreement with UK-based Smartzer that will enable South Africa’s 20 to 22 million smartphone users to click on videos playing on their mobile handsets and instantly be able to buy the items displayed on screen.

This agreement with the world’s leading mobile video monetiser delivers a much-needed shot in the arm for the SA economy in the form of millions of purchase-ready mobile users.

“South African brands now have access to interactive video tagging software and all the commercial opportunities that brings. Millennials now spend more time looking at videos on their mobile screens than they spend looking at traditional television screens.

“Mobile video clips are being consumed globally at the rate of hundreds of millions every singe day. It’s clear that there are tremendous opportunities in video for the mobile marketer and we’re pleased to be able to help brands monetise a growing trend,” concludes Mr Rosen.

Mobiclicks is Africa’s leader in mobile advertising technology, with product suites consisting of platforms that empower clients to understand their customers and reach them effectively, providing businesses with accurate data and in-depth behavioural insights to serve digital content to audiences that are on the go.

Over a decade in the making, Mobiclicks is today the exclusive South African partner for the globe’s foremost mobile location platform targeting Africa: the Unilever-funded Blis.

The latter is a developer of world-leading innovative media technology that integrates mobile campaigns with brick and mortar stores. The Blis location platform enables Mobiclicks to execute client mobile campaigns that measure eventual footfall into stores.