Tushya L. Govender

Global warming, pollution and climate change are some of the problems that have become an increasingly concerning issue internationally. Environmental deterioration has led to businesses changing the way in which they conduct themselves, leading to the emergence of green marketing. A considerable amount of research has been conducted on green marketing and consumer behavior, mainly, in developed countries. There is, however, a noticeable dearth of knowledge pertaining to consumers in South Africa. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine, at an exploratory level, the influence of green marketing on the purchasing behavior of South African consumers. A survey was conducted on a sample of 100 consumers using a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive design. The results indicate that South African citizens have high knowledge levels on the issues facing the environment. Elements of the green marketing mix, specifically, green promotion, were found to raise awareness and encourage positive change in consumption behavior. A large proportion of respondents preferred to patronize socially responsible retailers. Furthermore, respondents preferred green products over standard alternatives. However, they were price sensitive which affected their purchasing decisions. It emerged that there was no significant difference between low and high income earners in terms of price sensitivity, and no significant difference between lower and higher qualified respondents in terms of knowledge and awareness of environmental degradation and green marketing