With generative AI now answering queries directly on results pages, users increasingly accept those answers without clicking through. This shift is significant for African businesses as discovery, trust, and conversion are evolving, especially with Google and other platforms introducing AI search features in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. For brands and researchers in Africa, the pressing question is: how can you maintain visibility and trust when the answers are found within the search box?
AI-generated summaries, often referred to as AI overviews or AI modes, provide users with instant, conversational responses. Global studies indicate that users are significantly less inclined to click on links when an AI summary is available. Analysts from Bain and Company have noted a marked increase in “zero-click” behaviour, while Pew Research reports that click rates decrease by approximately 50% when AI summaries are present. This trend is already changing referral traffic to publishers and the metrics marketers use for performance.
Google has started implementing AI Mode in key African markets, introducing similar dynamics and providing quicker, more conversational answers while reducing the number of clicks to websites. As a result, African consumers will increasingly receive definitive answers directly within search results rather than on merchant pages or publisher sites.
Consumers now prefer single-screen answers for quick needs like prices, store hours, and simple product comparisons, leading to less time spent on research. This boosts purchase speed for low-risk items but complicates the consideration process for higher-value purchases. Trust has shifted to the answer itself; consumers evaluate the response rather than the source. If an AI overview appears authoritative, many users will accept it without further inquiry. This increases brand risk, as errors, outdated information, or biased summaries can mislead buyers and damage reputations.
For the research industry, the implications are especially clear. If consumers accept AI answers at face value, how do we ensure those answers are grounded in accurate, timely, and contextually African insights? Market research firms will need to engage more with structured data, local language content, and partnerships that feed credible information into AI systems. The role of research is not just to analyse consumer behaviour, but also to safeguard against the risks of misinformation and bias in AI-generated summaries.
As AI search matures in Africa, visibility will increasingly depend on trust signals embedded in the data itself. Clean, structured, localised, and verifiable information will determine which brands and publishers show up in the new search ecosystem. Those who adapt quickly will not only preserve their relevance but also shape the narratives that millions of African consumers now encounter, often without clicking beyond the search box.
