Will artificial intelligence replace communicators? The Davos Communications Summit, held in Switzerland last week, suggested that this question is too narrow. The more important issue is what happens when AI helps institutions produce messages faster, while people become the media that decides whether those messages are trusted, challenged or dismissed.

While the inclusion of AI-hallucinated research in the draft South Africa National AI Policy caused embarrassment for the communications department and minister Solly Malatsi, there is a silver lining. According to Adams & Adams partner Darren Olivier, Malatsi’s rapid withdrawal of the policy was the right move, as it demonstrated awareness of the seriousness of the issue and prevented further damage.

Boxer Superstores has launched Bmedia, a retail media division that connects brands directly with the heart of South Africa's consumer base, to be led by Adrian Naidoo.

South African loyalty programmes have secured major victories at the 17th annual International Loyalty Awards, reinforcing the country’s growing influence in the global customer engagement and loyalty economy.

Say a marketing medium consistently delivered 30% higher ROI than almost everything else in your media mix, you would surely prioritise it, wouldn’t you? Yet Connected TV (CTV) receives just 7% of total media budgets, despite delivering a knockout punch on returns.

The reality is this: data collection is no longer the problem. Trust is. The future lies in the ability to collect compliant data through conversations, clicks and competitions — with transparency and consent built in from the start. This is not about technology alone. It is about responsibility.

For the first time, marketers, advertisers and media agencies can trend five full calendar years of South African consumer behaviour, media consumption and spending patterns from a single, nationally representative dataset.