A new consumer study has challenged long-held assumptions that young people in South Africa consume content exclusively through digital platforms, revealing instead that the 18–24 age group engages with a wide mix of media channels, including print, digital outlets, social platforms and in-store information sources. The findings suggest that Gen Z audiences are far more platform-flexible than widely believed, moving across different media environments depending on context, purpose and purchasing decisions.
Data from a national consumer insights survey shows a steady rise in print media engagement among young audiences, with newspaper readership among 18–24-year-olds climbing significantly between 2022 and 2025. When online editions of newspapers are included, more than half of young consumers now access local news brands. The study also recorded notable growth in engagement with established publications, indicating that traditional media still maintains relevance within youth information habits despite the dominance of digital platforms.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the research further highlights a more complex consumer decision-making journey among young people, where print materials used at home and in retail environments rank among the most influential sources of shopping information, alongside online search and social media. The findings also show that print advertising is perceived as comparatively more useful and less intrusive than several digital and broadcast alternatives, with television and social media ads recording lower usefulness scores despite higher exposure levels.
Overall, the report points to a multi-channel reality where young consumers combine offline and online touchpoints throughout their media and shopping journeys. It also notes that advertisers increasingly rely on integrated audience targeting systems to reach this demographic across both print and digital ecosystems, as brands shift focus from single-platform strategies to broader, cross-media engagement models designed to reflect actual consumption behaviour.
