Sand, sea and surf: segmenting South African surfers

Abstract

This exploratory research identified four segments of surfers in South Africa, namely beginner, weekender, amateur, and professional. The study corroborates the argument that surfers cannot be regarded as homogeneous and that they differ according to their socio-demographic characteristics, surfing behaviour and motives. The results of the research provided strategies to surfing beaches or destinations and competitions to expand this lucrative sport market in South Africa. The results further demonstrated that segmenting surfers based on how they classify themselves is a useful market segmentation tool, as it yields a clear and direct profile and understanding of different types of surfer and their preferences. This research, therefore, makes a distinct contribution to the literature on surfers, especially in a South African context.

Keywords: Market segmentation; Surfing; South Africa; Typology