| dc.description.abstract | The study investigates the factors influencing client loyalty within South Africa’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry. The ICT industry is vast, meaning the focus will be on telecommunication providers within the country. The study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of all the various factors that contribute to the loyalty levels of consumers and determine what challenging aspects internet service providers (ISPs) face daily and how to overcome them.
Connectivity is an essential part of the new digitalisation world, and the pandemic has significantly boosted the telecommunication industry, as many companies have had to adapt and convert all their operations to online platforms, meaning a significant spike in connectivity occurred as many individuals had to work from home. After the pandemic, the need for connectivity remained high; however, with the demand that increased, competition also increased at a rapid pace, causing a price war within the telecommunication industry. The study includes literature evidence that there are many opportunities still within the telecommunication space; however, ISPs must focus on aspects such as the four marketing Ps (price, place, promotion and product) as well as the four marketing Cs (customer, convenience, communication, and cost) to understand the market, the clients and demand.
The study is based on a qualitative research approach. All data was obtained through interviews with several managers and directors of well-established ISPs servicing connectivity to multiple provinces within South Africa. Only six interviews were required to obtain the information to address the topic. The data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and analysed through coding and categorisation.
The interview data was divided into several main themes, including the industry’s growth, client loyalty, price sensitivity, service quality and challenging problems within the sector. Each main theme consisted of several sub-themes contributing to the study’s overall objective.
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The study revealed that several factors contribute toward client loyalty and that ISPs should remain focused on what they are good at, have a growing mindset, adapt to any circumstances, and invest in future technologies to ensure they have a competitive edge. Furthermore, the study also indicated that the competition is significantly high, weak infrastructure affects service delivery, price sensitivity is high among South Africans, and the price war between ISPs is here to stay. The difference is that there is a silver lining as ISPs are becoming more creative to ensure they grow and develop despite all the challenges.
Furthermore, the study also includes several objectives, such as South Africa’s weak infrastructure affecting service delivery, high poverty levels that slow down the development of the country’s ICT expansion, the lack of ICT skills, competition levels and how it affects clients’ decision-making, the effects of the global chipset shortage and price sensitivity levels. The study’s objectives addressed the overall research question. They provided enough evidence to state that aspects of price, service quality, relationships, trust, personalised services, diversification, and many more are vital to improving client loyalty. | en_US |
