Ask Africa Orange Index 2026: Celebrating leaders in customer experience

The insights generated through the 2026/27 Ask Africa Orange Index™ will be brought to life at the Ask Africa CX Intelligence Forum, a three-day event taking place from 25 to 27 August 2026, where corporate leaders, customer experience professionals and industry experts come together to explore the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of customer experience.

This year's programme will be delivered through three dedicated events: Everyday Life & Retail Spend, Connected & On The Go and Finance, Protection & Health. Together, these events recognise the brands delivering South Africa’s strongest customer experiences within the 27 industries that are measured within the benchmark.

The Everyday Life & Retail Spend Forum, taking place on 25 August 2026, will focus on the brands consumers engage with as part of their daily lives, including retail, restaurants, pharmacies, fuel providers and essential consumer services.

Scheduled for 26 August 2026, the Connected & On The Go Forum spotlights the brands shaping how customers communicate, access information and navigate digital services, including telecommunications providers, internet service providers and technology-enabled platforms.

Closing the programme on 27 August 2026, the Finance, Protection & Health Forum recognises excellence across banking, insurance, medical aid, and related financial services sectors. As trust continues to underpin meaningful customer relationships and long-term success, the Ask Africa Orange Index offers more than a measure of sentiment or performance. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the customer experience, evaluating how organisations deliver value across the entire customer journey. The forum will conclude with the announcement of the Overall Winner of the 2026/27 Ask Africa Orange Index.

Established in 2001, the Ask Africa Orange Index™ is Africa’s longest running customer experience benchmark, tracking how customer expectations evolve over both Perform- and Feel Factors®, measured across the omnichannel experience. Its independently audited, cross-industry approach enables organisations to understand their performance within their own categories, whilst offering a lens on successful touchpoints in other industries.

In an environment where customers compare every interaction to the best experience they have received elsewhere, granular, independently audited benchmarking has become an increasingly valuable tool for organisations seeking to sustainably connect with the markets they serve, by remaining relevant, trusted and competitive.

"As Africa looks to the future, the Ask Africa Orange Index™ continues to evolve with it, transforming customer insights into forward-looking intelligence that helps organisations anticipate change, build trust and stay relevant. Rooted in African excellence and powered by African insight, our commitment is to assist organisations in making better decisions that reflect the realities and opportunities of our continent."

– Andrea Rademeyer, chief executive officer and founder, Ask Africa

Giving business leaders an independent view of where their organisations are leading, where expectations are shifting and which areas require greater attention.

While Orange Index Season 2026 celebrates today's leaders, it is equally focused on the future. Throughout the season, Ask Africa will examine how longitudinal datasets, evolving customer expectations and forward-looking insight can help organisations prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Further announcements, including keynote speakers, panellists, executive perspectives and customer experience insights, will be shared in the lead-up to the Ask Africa CX Intelligence Forum.

About the Ask Africa Orange Index

The Ask Africa Orange Index™ is an independent customer experience benchmark established in 2001.

Measuring over 200 brands, across 27 industries, including over 50,000 interviewees in South Africa, the benchmark covers emotional connectedness across service, complaints, product, brand, trust and loyalty.

Built for companies that are serious about their customers journey, the benchmark provides a roadmap for institutions to become customer experience leaders within their industry. The Ask Africa Orange Index™ is a part of Ask Africa’s holistic solution suite, aimed to guide industry leaders towards success, through credible, hyperlocal data intelligence and expert partnership.