You’ve probably heard the term ‘commerce media’ – but what is it really? And why should South African businesses across sectors start paying attention?
Simply put, it’s advertising that lets retailers build a media business out of their first party data by connecting consumers with their products and services at every step of the shopping journey.
Think: sponsored listings on e-commerce sites, personalised offers in your banking app, or shoppable links on your favourite social media platforms. It’s a fast-evolving space, and South Africa is only just beginning to tap into its potential.
Retailers may have lit the spark but the most exciting growth is now happening beyond the realms of retail. That’s because commerce media isn’t limited to retail and e-commerce platforms. Banks, insurers, telcos, publishers, even marketplaces – anyone with first-party data – can get in the game.
Why now – and why South Africa?
Globally, commerce media is on a tear, with mobile advertising spend expected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2030 and the global social commerce market projected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2030, according to GlobeNewsWire.
Here’s the kicker: non-retail sectors in the US are now growing their commerce media spend at more than double the rate of retail – 34.1% versus 16.2%.
This shift signals something big: commerce media has moved into a new phase – one where any platform with rich first-party data can play, and win. With South Africa’s e-commerce market projected to reach approximately $7.32 billion by 2025, and digital retail expanding rapidly, the time is now.
What many businesses don’t realise is they’re already sitting on this first-party data – and with the right tech and strategy, they can monetise it in ways that drive real business results. Retailers and e-commerce players in South Africa are especially well-positioned to lead this charge – but they need to act fast to capture their share of the opportunity.
Commerce Media 2.0: It’s bigger than retail
Originally, commerce media lived mostly on retailer and e-commerce websites – sponsored product ads, brand placements, in-platform deals. But Commerce Media 2.0 goes much further, because:
- It’s not just for big retailers: Any business can monetise its transactional or behavioural first party data.
- It’s off-site: Ads can now appear beyond your own site – on apps, content platforms, social media, or across the open web.
- It’s non-endemic: This means you don’t have to sell your product on a commerce platform to reach its audience. Non-endemic advertising lets brands promote products or services that aren’t sold by the platform but are still relevant to the shopper’s journey – like a bank advertising home loans on a property site. This unlocks new revenue for data-rich platforms and helps brands tap into high-intent audiences.
- Precision targeting: Targeting is audience-optimised, not only optimised for placement.
- Full-funnel measurement: Because commerce media uses first-party data, you can see the full customer journey, from the first ad view to the final purchase. This end-to-end gives you a closed loop measurement so you can really see how your digital marketing performs.
Many of these off-site ads are delivered through programmatic environments – digital spaces where ads are bought and placed automatically using data and technology. This allows brands to reach specific audiences in real time, across a wide range of websites and platforms, with content that’s more relevant and more likely to convert.
In other words, you don’t have to be a retailer to benefit. You just need to understand your audience, have first-party data, and activate it in a way that connects brands to buyers wherever they are.
Five quick-fire facts every SA business should know
- Commerce media isn’t retail media. Retail media is a subset. Commerce media is the bigger ecosystem – covering all the ways ads can drive transactions across platforms and industries.
- First-party data is your superpower. If you’re a publisher, a financial service provider, or even a telco – you already have the key ingredient: first-party data. Commerce media turns that into a revenue-generating engine.
- It works across the funnel. Unlike old-school display ads, commerce media connects with people wherever they are in the buying cycle. That means better targeting, higher ROI, and clear attribution.
- It’s growing fast. With reliance on third-party cookies disappearing and data privacy tightening, brands are hungry for high-intent, privacy-compliant audiences. Commerce media answers that call.
- South African businesses are already doing it. Flow is already working with local businesses beyond retail to unlock this opportunity, with businesses as varied as insurers to property managers and FMCGs (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) making their data available.
Ready to unlock your first-party data’s potential?
If you’ve got first-party data, you’ve got gold. And commerce media helps you turn that value into measurable business impact – whether that’s new revenue streams, better customer experience, or simply better use of your own data.
Commerce media is no longer something to watch – it’s something to build. And the most successful businesses in the next five years will be those that learn to monetise attention, not just content.
South Africa doesn’t have to play catch-up. In fact, with our mobile-first economy, data-rich platforms, and rising demand for better ROI, we could leapfrog into the next phase of digital advertising.
The takeaway
Commerce media isn’t just for retailers. It’s for any business with a user base and valuable data. And in South Africa, that includes banks, insurers, telcos, publishers, and platforms of all shapes and sizes. The opportunity is massive – and it’s just getting started.
Daniel Levy is co-founder and co-CEO of Flow.
