A new app is promising a solution for advertisers looking for “genuine, measurable engagement and locally retained ad spend”.
Gain for Me, launched by Synapser, a technology company pioneering secure digital identity and consumer engagement, “redirects advertising budget into South African wallets and retailers, ensuring that this revenue contributes directly to local economic participation, while making digital advertising accountable, measurable, and rewarding for consumers”, says Brian Henderson, CEO of Synapser.
“South Africa’s R17.8 billion digital advertising spend should not be lost to offshore platforms,” he adds.
Gain for Me’s premise is based on Synapser’s proprietary digital identity verification technology alongside a consumer-friendly earn-per-view model. This, the creators say, creates a “verified, value-driven engagement between brands and real consumers”.
Precision targeting
Members watch short, targeted advertisements and answer content-related questions to verify engagement. In return, their digital wallets are credited with points that can be redeemed through selected retail and financial partners. At this point, Shoprite’s Money Market Account is the exclusive redemption partner, allowing members to convert their points into Shoprite grocery vouchers.
Chief commercial officer, Ross Joughin, describes the process. “Gain For Me partners directly with brands, media agencies and marketing networks to deliver precision-targeted campaigns to our verified member base. What sets us apart is our closed-loop attribution model where advertisers can measure the full customer journey, from ad engagement to confirmed in-store purchase,” he says.
“Because every Gain For Me member has a verified digital identity, advertisers know that every impression comes from a real, authenticated person, not a bot or fake account. This makes our platform uniquely valuable to advertisers looking for genuine, measurable engagement and locally retained ad spend.”
Verified human engagement
Joughin says Gain For Me is running campaigns with a range of South African consumer brands across food and beverage, financial services and clothing sectors.
“These partners see the value in verified human engagement and transparent performance metrics. Gain For Me allows them to test messaging, measure conversion, and understand real shopper behaviour, all within a secure, privacy-first ecosystem,” he explains.
“Our strongest early traction has been with brands targeting value-conscious consumers who want to stretch their spending power. These brands appreciate that Gain For Me offers both measurable ROI and a positive social impact, rewarding South Africans for their time and attention.”
Anyone can be a member of Gain For Me, including foreign nationals living in South Africa. “Registration is simple, members sign up using Synapser’s Entry digital identity platform, which uses facial biometrics and ID verification to confirm that each member is a unique, living individual,” says Joughin.
Models at scale
“This authentication process eliminates fake profiles and ensures that every engagement on our platform is 100% human and legitimate. Members must be over 18 and have access to a smartphone. We currently have over 100 000 verified members across all nine provinces, including significant uptake in rural and peri-urban communities.”
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, Joughin says. “Agencies and marketing directors are excited about finally being able to connect ad spend to real-world results. Gain For Me delivers what global ad networks can’t -100% verified human engagement, transparent reporting, and direct proof of sales attribution.
“As one agency partner put it, ‘It’s the first time we’ve been able to measure what happens after a consumer actually watches an ad.’ Our focus now is on scaling membership to deliver the reach that national brands require. In parallel, we’re running targeted pilot campaigns to demonstrate performance metrics and validate our model at scale.”
At this point, Shoprite is Gain For Me’s exclusive rewards and retail partner. Joughin says the partnership also provides brands with unique shopper insights and market research value, leveraging Shoprite’s reach and Synapser’s verified member data.
