Consumer concerns for the environment and the extent to which it influences the purchasing of green products in the greater eThekwini region

Abstract

With the escalating threat of global warming, pollution, and climate change, organisations worldwide are compelled to rethink their business practices. As a result, green marketing has emerged as a vital strategy, with an increasing focus on the study of consumer behaviour related to sustainability. In light of these developments, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of green marketing on the purchasing behaviour of South African consumers. As the study of green marketing is still in its early stages in South Africa, a cross-sectional and descriptive research design was adopted. A quantitative approach was utilised, and data collection was conducted through survey questionnaires. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit a sample of 250 respondents, as they needed to be easily accessible at the chosen shopping mall for data collection. The collected data were analysed using SPSS. The study found that South African consumers, particularly those in the eThekwini region of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, have a significantly high knowledge of issues affecting the environment. Many respondents demonstrated a concern for the environment by exhibiting a preference for products that were environmentally friendly. However, the findings indicate that they were also sensitive to price, which had a significant impact on their purchasing decisions, particularly in relation to their income levels. The study revealed that there was no significant difference between low and high-income earners, as well as lower and higher qualified respondents, regarding their knowledge and awareness of environmental degradation and green marketing.