South Africa, Dec. 17 -- According to Ryan Nofal, co-managing director at Penquin, the industry didn't just change, it matured. "This year forced marketers to get real about what drives results," he says. "2025 wasn't about trends for trends' sake. It was about clarity, precision and meeting South Africans where they actually are."

From AI to the rise of hyper-local content, here's his breakdown of the six marketing forces that shaped 2025, and what they mean for the years ahead.

In 2025, artificial intelligence moved from an "interesting tool" to an "absolute essential." AI-powered content generation, predictive analytics, programmatic buying and personalised customer journeys became baseline, not bonuses. "AI became the great equalise...