From Consumer Data to Closed Deals: Stitch's Three-Sector Insight Play
How Stitch used WhatsApp surveys to produce three sector insight reports — turning consumer data into its highest-performing enterprise sales asset.
Stitch — Yazi Case Study
YAZI CASE STUDY
How Stitch used WhatsApp-based consumer surveys to produce three sector-specific insight reports — turning qualitative data into a high-performing sales asset across e-commerce, travel, and insurance.
~1,200
Respondents across four targeted surveys
3
Sector-specific insight reports produced
4
Consumer segments surveyed in parallel
1
Month end-to-end from fieldwork to delivery
Client
Stitch
Industry
Fintech / Payments
Location
South Africa
Duration
1 month
The Brief
Stitch, a South African payments infrastructure company, wanted to create three sector-specific consumer insight reports targeting large enterprises in the e-commerce/retail, travel, and insurance sectors. These reports needed to go beyond high-level market overviews and capture the real reasons behind consumer behaviour — what drives online shopping decisions, which platforms consumers prefer, and how payment experiences shape loyalty.
The goal was to update previous reports with more specific, current data and to explore open-ended questions that would surface the kind of qualitative depth that traditional online surveys miss. The target audience was high-income South African consumers who regularly shop online across platforms like Shoprite, Mr. Price, Pick n Pay, Travelstart, Motus, Airbnb, Outsurance, and Momentum.
Stitch needed a research partner who could reach these consumers quickly, collect structured and open-ended data in the same study, and deliver reports polished enough to be used directly as marketing and sales collateral.
The Challenge
Consumer insight reports that are meant to double as sales assets sit at the intersection of rigorous research and compelling storytelling. They demand both depth and speed — and the data needs to be credible enough to land with enterprise decision-makers.
Speed to Market
Stitch needed three full reports — each covering a distinct sector — produced within a single month. Traditional market research timelines wouldn't come close.
Multi-Segment Reach
Four distinct consumer segments needed to be surveyed in parallel, each with approximately 300 respondents — with quotas to ensure even distribution across income groups.
Qualitative + Quantitative
The reports needed to blend hard numbers with the kind of open-ended consumer verbatims that bring insights to life — not just percentages, but the "why" behind the data.
Sales-Ready Output
The deliverables weren't internal-only research decks — they had to be polished enough to run as LinkedIn paid ads and use in direct sales conversations with enterprise prospects.
The core question: How do you produce three enterprise-grade consumer insight reports — each covering a different sector, drawing on ~300 respondents, mixing open-ended and structured data — within a single month, and deliver them in a format ready for sales and marketing?
The Approach
Yazi used its Survey software to conduct four surveys, each targeting a different segment of the high-income South African consumer market. All surveys were delivered via WhatsApp, meeting respondents on the platform they already use daily.
Four-Survey, Three-Report Architecture
Each survey targeted a distinct consumer segment — e-commerce/retail, travel, insurance, and a cross-sector payments behaviour study — with approximately 300 respondents per survey, all completed within a single month.
WhatsApp deliveryQuota-based samplingOpen-ended questionsVoice notesText responsesMulti-segment reachEven distribution
How it worked: Respondents received the survey via WhatsApp and could answer both structured multiple-choice questions and open-ended prompts with text or voice notes. Yazi's quota system ensured segments were evenly distributed within each sample, and the platform's real-time collection allowed all four surveys to run simultaneously within the same month.
The respondent experience
South African online shoppers don't need convincing to open WhatsApp — it's the country's dominant messaging platform. By meeting respondents there, Yazi removed the friction that typically kills survey completion rates.
SA Consumer Study
Stitch · Yazi
E-commerce Survey
When you shop online, what's the most important thing about the checkout process? Pick what matters most to you.
09:34
Speed — I want to pay and be done. If it takes too long I'll abandon the cart
09:37 ✓✓
Interesting. Can you tell me more about a time a slow checkout made you leave?09:37
0:38
09:42 ✓✓
Thank you. Last one — which payment method do you prefer when shopping online?09:43
I mostly use my bank card but I've started using Capitec Pay recently, it feels quicker
09:45 ✓✓
What made this different
WhatsApp-Native Collection
No survey links to click, no portals to log into — respondents answered directly inside WhatsApp
Voice notes captured richer consumer stories than typed answers alone
High-income South African consumers engaged on a platform they already trust
Quota-Based Sampling
Quotas ensured even distribution across consumer segments within each survey
Balanced representation across income groups and shopping behaviours
Data credible enough to stand up in enterprise sales conversations
Open-Ended Depth at Scale
Respondents answered open-ended questions via text and voice notes, providing qualitative richness
Consumer verbatims brought the data to life in the final reports
The "why" behind consumer behaviour surfaced naturally alongside the numbers
Parallel Multi-Sector Reach
Four surveys ran simultaneously, covering e-commerce, travel, insurance, and cross-sector payments
All completed within one month — a fraction of traditional multi-sector research timelines
Each segment delivered independently, ready for sector-specific reporting
Results
Top Insights from the Reports
The surveys revealed significant trends and preferences among high-income South African consumers, particularly around how they shop and pay online. Three findings stood out across all sectors.
Consumer priorities across sectors
Fast checkout
88%
Platform trust
74%
Payment choice
67%
Mobile-first UX
61%
E-commerce Growth Across Categories
E-commerce adoption is widespread across different income groups in South Africa
The average South African consumer spends around 10% of their income online
Growth is accelerating across categories, not just electronics and fashion
Checkout Experience Drives Loyalty
A fast and easy checkout process is the most critical factor influencing consumer loyalty
Three of the six most common reasons for choosing between platforms were payment-related
Friction at checkout is the leading cause of cart abandonment across all three sectors
Emerging Payment Methods
Card payments still dominate, but pay-by-bank and Capitec Pay are rising fast
Consumers are open to adopting new payment methods that feel more efficient
Cost-effectiveness of alternative payment methods is a growing consideration
Sector-Specific Nuance
Travel consumers prioritise flexibility and refund policies alongside payment speed
Insurance buyers want clarity on what they're paying for at the point of commitment
E-commerce shoppers weight delivery speed and payment speed almost equally
Inside the Yazi platform
Stitch's team accessed structured survey data alongside the open-ended responses and voice note transcripts — all organised by segment, question, and respondent.
Stitch received a complete data package designed to feed directly into their report production and sales workflows.
Structured Data
Excel exports per survey, with every answer mapped to its question and segment
Quota-balanced data ready for cross-segment comparison
Clean enough to feed directly into Stitch's own report templates
Open-Ended Responses
Text and voice note responses organised by question and segment
Consumer verbatims that brought the numbers to life in the final reports
Voice notes transcribed and aligned to the question they answered
Sector Reports
Three polished insight reports covering e-commerce, travel, and insurance
Each report combined structured data with qualitative consumer stories
Designed as dual-purpose assets — internal strategy and external sales collateral
Marketing-Ready Assets
Reports formatted for LinkedIn paid promotion and direct sales outreach
Key findings distilled into shareable takeaways for social content
Data credibility positioned Stitch as a thought leader in SA payments
Impact
As a sales asset
The reports were used directly as marketing and sales material, promoted through LinkedIn paid ads, and contributed to sales efforts targeting major enterprises in the e-commerce, travel, and insurance sectors. The LinkedIn post sharing the report received strong engagement, with Stitch's Head of Marketing confirming the reports "have been performing super well."
As a strategic move
By leveraging the detailed consumer data, Stitch positioned itself as an authority on payments in South Africa — not just as a payments infrastructure provider, but as a company that understands the consumer. The reports enhanced Stitch's credibility and strengthened its market presence, driving both inbound interest and outbound sales conversations.
Positive Reception
LinkedIn posts sharing the reports received strong engagement from Stitch's audience
Reports used as LinkedIn paid ads, demonstrating their value as sales collateral
Stitch's marketing team confirmed high satisfaction with the deliverables
Revenue Contribution
Insights directly contributed to sales efforts, helping secure business with major SA enterprises
Stitch positioned as an authority on payments in South Africa
Reports led to subsequent projects and an ongoing partnership with Yazi
“
The reports have been performing super well — really happy with where we landed.
Thea Sokolowski · Head of Marketing & Communications · Stitch
Why This Matters for Payments & Fintech
In fintech, the companies that win enterprise deals aren't always the ones with the best product — they're the ones who understand the end consumer best. Stitch recognised that proprietary consumer data, delivered as polished insight reports, could open doors that a product demo alone couldn't.
By running four WhatsApp-based surveys across ~1,200 respondents in a single month, Yazi gave Stitch the speed, depth, and credibility they needed to produce three sector-specific reports that worked simultaneously as research, as marketing, and as a sales tool. The data helped Stitch close enterprise deals — and positioned them as a company that doesn't just process payments, but understands the people making them.
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