By Rakhee Naik. South Africa’s billboards and posters are doing more than decorating the roadsides. For a segment of the population, they’re a trusted source of advertising.
Consumer insights company KLA used data from YouGov Profiles, which tracks internet-connected adults aged 18+. This study examines the demographic profile and broader attitudes of South Africans who say they trust the advertising they see on posters and billboards. The findings show a consumer who is not just receptive to outdoor advertising, but engaged with advertising, and media, across the board.
The target group included South Africans who ‘tend to agree’ or ‘definitely agree’ that they trust the advertising they see on posters and billboards (n=902). This is compared to a nationally representative control group (n=22,770).
Trust skews older, male and middle-income
There is less trust in billboard and poster advertising among younger South Africans. Only 18% of the trust group are under 24, compared to 25% in the national sample. From 35 upward, the pattern inverts. Older South Africans are more likely to trust what they see on a billboard than their younger counterparts. Males make up 57% of the trust group, while females account for 43%.
On income, households earning under R19,999 per month come out at 27% of the trust group, versus 35% nationally. The middle-income bracket of R20,000 to R39,999 per month makes up 37%, compared to 29% nationally.
So the group skews older, male, and middle-income. But the more interesting finding is what this group looks like once you go beyond demographics — to the advertising attitudes and wider consumer behaviours of this group.
High engagement with advertising across formats
People who trust billboard advertising are more engaged with advertising in general. A total of 75% of the trust group enjoy watching advertisements featuring their favourite celebrities. This compares to 60% nationally — a 15-percentage-point gap. The same gap appears in their trust of products recommended by celebrities or influencers, at 62% versus 47%.
Cinema advertising resonates too, with 60% enjoying ads at the cinema against 46% nationally. These are people who actively pay attention to advertising wherever it appears.
At the same time, they are more skeptical of TV advertising. Among the trust group, 56% say they don’t trust television advertising. This is nine points higher the national figure of 47%. Outdoor advertising may carry a different kind of credibility for these consumers. It’s public, physical, and not algorithmically targeted at them.
Gaps in representation
There’s also a representation gap worth flagging — 61% of the trust group say they don’t see their lifestyle represented enough in advertising, versus 51% nationally. Even among those most disposed to trust outdoor advertising, a significant majority feel the industry still isn’t reflecting their lives back to them.
Their wider media habits reveal a group that is switched on and culturally curious. 72% like to discover new music artists before their friends (versus 59% nationally), and 69% say television influences their thoughts and feelings, compared to 57% nationally. They are trend-conscious, media-engaged, and open to influence across formats.
Consumers want brands to reflect their values
When it comes to what they want from brands, the expectations are clear – 81% want brands to be willing to get involved in social issues (versus 72% nationally), and 83% believe diversity and inclusion should be considered when brands put on events, compared to 76% nationally. These are consumers who hold brands to account – they engage with advertising, they notice it, they react to it, and they have a clear sense of what they expect in return.
For marketers and media planners, the profile of the South African billboard truster is worth
understanding carefully. This is not a narrow niche of traditional, low-media consumers who’ve tuned out digital noise. It’s a majority-male, employed, middle-income group, and they are among the most advertising-engaged consumers in the country. The credibility that outdoor advertising holds for this group is genuine, and it appears to act as a gateway rather than a ceiling for wider advertising receptivity.
Methodology
YouGov Profiles+: Segmentation and media planning tool providing comprehensive consumer insights with data collected daily.
Target Group: South Africans who ‘Tend to agree’ or ‘Definitely agree’ that they trust the advertising they see on posters/billboards. n=902.
Control Group: Nationally representative. n=22,770.
Dataset: Profiles+ South Africa, March 2026.
Rakhee Naik is a managing consultant: Insights at KLA.
