Visual Symbolism in Cross-Cultural Advertising: A Comparative Study of South Africa and Kenya

This research scrutinizes cross-cultural symbol use in advertising by undertaking comparative analysis of 60 South African and Kenyan ads, two economically important and culturally diverse African economies. Using qualitative content analysis supported by semiotics theory and NVivo coding, the study establishes regional patterns and national differences in symbolic repertoires. South African ads promote modern identity, empowerment and multiculturalism, typically depicted through urban, professional and technology-influenced images. Kenyan campaigns feature cultural heritage, family and community values communicated in traditional attire, countryside settings and religious icons. These are in line with broader African advertising patterns, hybrid symbols that are heritage and modern, catalogued in recent Ghanaian, Nigerian and Egyptian studies. The research adds to cross-cultural advertising theory through the development of the Visual Symbolism Decoding Model and siting national patterns within a continental semiotic context. Managerially, the research provides advice to international and regional brands in quest of cultural fluency, indicating a necessity for symbolic strategy aligning with local subtlety and common African visual codes.