Investigating cultural values, digital trust, and online purchase intentions among South African consumers

Abstract

The post-COVID-19 surge in South Africa's e-commerce sector, while significant, has not been uniformly inclusive, with growth trajectories deeply complicated by the nation's profound cultural diversity and persistent digital inequalities. While existing literature often examines cultural influences and technology adoption in isolation, a critical gap remains in understanding their interdependent effects on online consumer behaviour within this unique socio-cultural context. This study, therefore, sought to develop and empirically test an integrated model that examines the interrelationship between Hofstede's cultural dimensions (Collectivism, Power Distance, and Uncertainty Avoidance), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs (Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use), and their combined impact on online purchase intention, with Digital Trust positioned as a central mediating variable. Grounded in a positivist paradigm, this research employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected via a structured online questionnaire from a stratified sample of 400 South African online shoppers. Validated scales, including the CVSCALE for cultural values and adapted TAM scales, were used to measure the constructs. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, with the hypothesised relationships within the conceptual model rigorously tested using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) in IBM AMOS. The findings reveal a complex, mediated consumer decision-making process. The structural model confirmed that cultural values exert a significant, but largely indirect, influence on purchase intention. Uncertainty Avoidance demonstrated a strong negative relationship with Digital Trust (β = -0.41, p < .001), indicating that consumers' intolerance for ambiguity directly erodes confidence in e-commerce platforms. Collectivism positively influenced trust (β = 0.28, p < .01), primarily operating through the powerful mechanism of social proof, with customer reviews and ratings being a far more influential factor than influencer marketing. The relationship for Power Distance was nuanced, showing a nonsignificant direct path to trust, suggesting a dualistic nature where deference to authority can build trust, but a simultaneous demand for transparency limits its effect. Crucially, Digital Trust emerged as the most potent direct predictor of Online Purchase Intention (β = 0.59, p < .001), fully mediating the effects of Uncertainty Avoidance and partially mediating the effects of Collectivism. While Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness were confirmed as significant antecedents to trust and intention, their path coefficients were substantially lower, highlighting that in the South African context, utilitarian benefits are secondary to the fundamental need for transactional security and reliability. This is further evidenced by the high cart abandonment rate (34.5%), primarily driven by payment security concerns and high costs. The study concludes that the path to purchase for South African online shoppers is a fragile negotiation, where cultural predispositions set the parameters for trust, which in turn acts as the critical gatekeeper to transaction completion. The research contributes a novel, integrated theoretical framework that synthesises cultural and technological models. Practically, it provides actionable insights for culturally tailored marketing, trust-centric platform design, and policies aimed at fostering a more inclusive and equitable digital marketplace in South Africa.