Every generation has its own struggle, goes the saying. However, South Africa’s youth is not only faced with the struggle of its own country but, of the whole world as the climate catastrophe worsens.

So, this Youth Month, while South Africa traverses post-election uncertainty, a new generation is emerging. An entire generation, Gen Z, has grown up ‘born free’ within the 30 years of democracy.

Based on a recent webinar, “Cracking the Code on Gen Z Africa”, 67% of this demographic, who are digitally aware citizens, expect companies to sincerely commit to eco-friendly activities all year long, not just during Environment Month.

They call for corporate accountability in tackling environmental problems, asking businesses to analyse their supply chains, packaging, and digital impact.

“Gen Z is the most sustainability-conscious generation we have ever seen,” said Daniel Brocklebank, the head of brand strategy at Aleph, a digital advertising company.

Brocklebank, who leads the brand strategy team for Sub-Saharan Africa, shared insights into the values, social inclinations, and platforms where Gen Z thrives.

“GWI data shows that 62.1% of Gen Z are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products, and 61.8% expect the environment to get better in the future, that’s significant,” he said.

According to McKinsey, products with environmental, social, and governance claims are experiencing strong sales growth, particularly among Generation Z and Millennials.

These young consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that reflect their values. Gen Z is also five times more likely to buy from companies that pledge to combat climate change.

This trend towards sustainable purchasing is a significant driver of change, motivating firms to adopt more sustainable practices, while also inspiring older generations to make more mindful decisions.

According to the webinar, a large number of Gen Z conduct product and brand research using multiple online channels, including social media (79.3%) and search engines (69%).

Furthermore, the fact that “finding information” is the most common purpose for utilising the internet (61%), supports this conclusion.

“Brands that fail to recognise and respond to this demand for sustainability risk alienating a significant portion of the consumer market,“ added Brocklebank.

“This is especially true in South Africa, where these young South Africans, standing around 20 million people strong, make up 33.2% of the population.”

Eighteen-year-old Amanda Zulu, a matriculant from Durban, KwaZulu Natal said that the sentiments of the webinar are true.

“I think there is more responsibility on my generation’s shoulders now to try and salvage what we can because older people have not taken global warming seriously.

“I go for eco-friendly products, but I also am aware of green-washing (the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice). So, I make sure to do my research when it comes to the companies I buy from. However, green products tend to cost more or are just unaffordable. I guess that Is the price we have to pay,” she said.

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