Localization is more than just a language exercise. A brand localization strategy is indeed a growth strategy. And the five global brands we’re about to explore prove exactly that.
They are on a mission, and they nailed it by simply working smart. They implemented a strong brand localization strategy that proved to be an indispensable asset in their business expansion and integration into the African community.
The result? Seamless entry, strong engagement, and real relevance in African markets.
Now, we get it, cracking the localization code can feel overwhelming, but we are here to break down exactly how these brands did it, so you can follow in their footsteps and take your business to Africa.
Amazon’s Brand Localization Strategy: The New Africa’s eCommerce Powerhouse
In May 2024, the e-commerce giant launched its online shopping services in South Africa, marking its 23rd launch country, to become a significant competitor of South Africa’s largest Naspers-owned online retailer.
You may be wondering why South Africa, of all the places?
When Amazon enters a market, it is not a speculative trial; it is a calculated, data-driven investment. Such a move reflects a high level of confidence in the country’s economic resilience, digital infrastructure, and consumer market readiness.
For global brands considering expansion, Amazon’s presence is a strong market signal—an indicator that the environment is primed for sustainable growth and worthy of strategic entry.
Rather than storming in, they opted for a measured, phased approach—starting with a curated product catalog and a restrained marketing push while focusing on onboarding independent South African sellers.
Amazon first started with two local fulfillment centers in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Then, in January 2025, Amazon opened a Cape Town walk-in support center offering in-person seller training and help, further fortifying its brand localization strategy.
This led to a strong Q4 (fourth business quarter) holiday performance, with over 60% of listings coming from independent sellers (small and medium-sized businesses), and significant shopper retention.
- Language Localization
Amazon made it its life mission to serve top-notch quality to its customers through linguistic accessibility and cultural nuance. This helped them establish instantaneous rapport with their South African users and skyrocketed their success in the country.
With over 5 million speakers, English is one of South Africa’s official languages and serves as the primary language of business and digital communication. Ranked 11th globally out of 116 countries and first in Africa for English proficiency (EF English Proficiency Index), it was the natural gateway for Amazon to connect with South African users during its initial market entry.
The linguistic accessibility made English the most logical entry point for Amazon’s localization strategy, providing the foundation for mass reach while setting the stage for deeper multilingual engagement.
It was their support for local vendors and brand localization strategy, in addition to utilizing website localization services, that led to their marketing campaign’s success in South Africa.
- Multilingual Customer Support
Moreover, Amazon’s customer care model further expands its localization depth. The company offers native-speaking support agents fluent in key local languages, including Afrikaans, isiZulu, and isiXhosa, among others. Support is available from early morning to midnight, a schedule aligned with local behavior patterns and service expectations.
- UI/UX Localization
Yes, South African English’s (SAE) roots go back to global English, but SAE features localized spelling, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions that differ from US or UK English.
Amazon South Africa reflects this fluency in its language interface and content, ensuring the site feels native to local users.
- South African Rand (ZAR) pricing and local tax language
- Delivery and logistics phrasing
- Product descriptions and conventions
- UI language
- Category labeling
- Help center content
- Shipping terms
This is a full-fledged brand localization strategy, not just translation. Every element—UI language, category labeling, help center content, shipping terms—is customized to resonate with a South African consumer base.
- Payment Gateways
Amazon has not only focused on the language of the people but also on the language of money. They offer multiple payment methods that customers in South Africa prefer, including:
- Debit Card
- Credit card
- Visa, MasterCard, or American Express Prepaid credit or gift cards
- Amazon.co.za Gift Card balance or Electronic gift cards
- EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) through Stitch
This brand localization strategy helped further enhance user experience and build trust between the users and the brand, which made Amazon indispensable in the region.
Netflix: African Stories Driving Global Streaming Success
The master of global streaming’s journey was far from being an easy one; from being a DVD-rental-by-mail service to being an international company–this didn’t happen overnight.
Netflix was estimated to reach 2.6 million subscriptions in Africa by the end of 2021, where about half of the subscribers are located in Africa. In 2026, however, the number of subscribers is predicted to double, reaching over 5.8 million. All of that is thanks to their smart localization strategy.
Netflix’s Larry Tanz, vice president of content for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, had a simple localization marketing strategy:
“By looking at what else audiences wanted, local storytelling and audiences seeing themselves on screen became our mission. That was the leap of faith we took when we decided to commission our own films and series globally.”
Their brand localization example is one to be taught in textbooks. They combined Internal management, local teams, historical data, and top-notch local productions with creativity, in addition to utilizing mobile localization services.
Netflix’s Brand Localization Strategy
- Language Localization
Language is at the heart of Netflix’s localization playbook in South Africa. The platform supports dubbing and subtitles in major local languages, making global and regional content more accessible to diverse audiences.
Moreover, the streaming giant focused their efforts on the production of South African originals. They made shows, such as Kings of Jo’Burg, featuring authentic storylines, multilingual dialogue using languages like isiZulu, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa, and real locations.
This step has made the shows relatable to the locals and appealing to the global audiences. Their production reflects the local culture and goes beyond user experience. It also reflects the success of marketing strategies in the region.
- Currency Localization
The platform bills users in South African Rand (ZAR), ensuring transparency, convenience, and alignment with local purchasing habits. This eliminates conversion friction and builds trust by showing that Netflix understands local market realities.
Pricing strategies are also tiered to accommodate different income levels, supporting broader adoption.
- Technical Localization
75% of South African users stream via their smartphones. That and recognizing the country’s digital infrastructure constraints, Netflix’s brand localization strategy involved key adaptations:
- A mobile-only plan to increase affordability and drive broader access
- Downloadable content for offline viewing in bandwidth-restricted areas
- Improved video compression to optimize streaming on low-speed networks
Spotify: Amplifying African Voices
The Swedish Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon took advantage of the lack of legal music streaming and founded Spotify in 2006. How did the former startup manage to land over 515 million active users per month, over 210 million premium members, and be available in over 180 countries?
Their motto was simple: “Think global, act local.” They valued customer experience in their localization strategy. That included understanding their audiences’ cultural preferences and adapting to and learning multiple languages.
Spotify’s Brand Localization Strategy
Spotify’s expansion into African markets offers a compelling example of how a thoughtful, multi-layered brand localization strategy can drive adoption and brand loyalty. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, Spotify has taken the time to understand local cultures, economies, and behaviors, resulting in a user experience that feels personalized, inclusive, and culturally fluent.
- Product and UI Localization
Spotify’s strategy in Africa champions software localization services, ensuring that the app and UI feel native to each market. As Spotify’s global rollout climbs to 184 markets and 78 languages, the platform deliberately adapts its interface to local contexts, including payment integrations and mobile-first design choices.
Additionally, UI elements—such as playlist covers—are customized to reflect local visual culture, fostering a stronger sense of belonging and recognition among users
- Localized Playlists
One of the most impactful aspects of Spotify’s brand localization strategy is its focus on supporting local talent and storytelling. They updated Africa’s music experience with over 100 playlists across some of the most popular genres in Africa and heavily invested in promoting African artists and podcasters through curated playlists like African Heat, RADAR Africa, and Amapiano Grooves.
Microsoft’s Inclusive Brand Localization Strategy
With Microsoft’s Azure’s availability in South Africa in 2021, later came their brand localization strategy. Microsoft added 13 new African languages to its Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services Translator in 2023.
With Microsoft Azure’s availability in South Africa established in 2021, the company followed up with a strategic investment in language inclusion. In 2023, Microsoft expanded its Azure Cognitive Services Translator by adding 13 new African languages, further advancing its brand localization strategy and strengthening its commitment to serving diverse linguistic communities across the continent.
The year before, they had added Somali and isiZulu, but ever since 202,3 there has been language support for:
- chiShona
- Hausa
- Igbo
- Kinyarwanda
- Lingala
- Luganda
- Nyanja
- Rundi
- Sesotho
- Sesotho se Leboa
- Setswana
- isiXhosa
- Yoruba
This makes the total of languages supported by Microsoft 124 in Africa and worldwide.
Microsoft also integrated these languages across its ecosystems, including:
- Microsoft 365 for translating text and documents
- Microsoft Edge Browser and Bing Search Engine for translating web pages
- SwiftKey for translating messages
- LinkedIn for translating user-submitted content
- Translator App for multilingual conversations
These integrations have made their localization journey a fruitful one and helped their African users tremendously through inclusivity and facilitating their everyday lives.
Coca‑Cola’s Roots in Culture
Coca-Cola’s brand localization strategy screams creativity. In 2024, they created “Coca-Cola Wozzaah Zero Sugar” to celebrate the African culture in Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa, and Morocco.
“Wozzaah” is an isiZulu term for “come here.” Its design was made by Kenyan illustrator Joy Richu to embody “what does Africa taste like?”
Additionally, their infamous “Share a Coke” campaign included phonetically spelled out South African common names under the name of “The Phonetic Can Campaign.”
This increased familiarity with the famous tongue click noise in the South African languages. Also, the campaign resulted in 158% increase in brand love, with a 90% penetration rate and a 5.4% increase in volume.
As the journeys of Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, and Microsoft clearly show, a successful brand localization strategy in Africa requires more than global ambition.
If your team is exploring how to localize meaningfully for African markets, Afrolingo brings the linguistic expertise and regional perspective to support that journey. Get in touch today and let’s make your brand truly local, everywhere in Africa.
FAQs
- What is a localization strategy?
A localization strategy is a plan that goes beyond simple translation. Businesses use localization strategies to adapt their products, services, marketing, and operations to meet the cultural, linguistic, and regulatory needs of a specific local market.
- What is the difference between internationalization and localization?
Internationalization prepares the product for global use. Localization customizes the product for each specific market.
- What is an example of localization in marketing?
For example, a localization strategy in Africa might include offering mobile-first experiences, using local languages, partnering with regional suppliers, and adjusting product features to fit local preferences and infrastructure.
