FY2027 · May 2026 – April 2027
Marketing Fund overview
Where the fund stands four months into FY27, and how the year's budget is allocated. Actuals to 31 August 2026.
R2.85M
Levy income YTD
R132,055 (4.4%) below budget
R2.26M
National spend YTD
79% of YTD budget · R615,775 under
R541.6K
Local marketing YTD
22% of R2.41M franchisee allocation
R2.39M
Fund balance at 31 Aug
Opening balance R2.33M
FY27 budget allocation
Needs attention
Income behind plan
Levy volumes 3.3 million litres below budget year to date (−R132,055).
Studio & equipment over budget
R10,382 over — NAS storage and umbrella repairs were not budgeted.
eCommerce budget unused
R100,000 budgeted for May–August; nothing spent yet.
Revamps behind schedule
R40K of R150K spent; R110K of cash-backs committed.
Coming up
Woordfees (R115K, Oct) and the Coastal Campaign (R560K, Nov).
FY27 events so far
Hermanus Triathlon · May
Delivered for R31,960 against a R79,783 budget.
MUT by UTMB · 2026
Delivered for R35,000, on budget.
Knysna Forest Marathon · July
Delivered for R113,161 against R105,000 (R8,161 over).
STB: Woordfees · October
Approved; R115,000 committed.
FY26 results
Google conversions
109.7K
+52,489 vs prior year
Social views
22.1M
Facebook and Instagram
Cost per conversion
R6.70
Down R1.53
Google CTR
13.5%
Well above industry average
FY2027 year to date · May – August 2026
Four months in
Actuals for the first four months of FY27 against the FYE 2027 budget. Spend is running under budget while income is slightly behind, so the fund closed August with a healthy balance.
R2,852,361
Levy income YTD
Budget R2,984,416 · −4.4%
R2,256,044
National spend YTD
Budget R2,871,819 · 79% used
R297,332
Committed spend
Revamps, Woordfees, schools, NAS
R2,389,235
Fund balance at 31 Aug
Opening R2,334,475 + net R54,759
Actuals vs budget by pillar
| Investment area | Actual YTD | Budget YTD | Variance | Full year used | Full-year budget | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand & Capability | R1,445,077 | R1,750,533 | R305,456 under | 28% | R5,195,918 | |
People Salaries — finance team and DTP studio | R874,053 | R1,086,000 | R211,947 under | 27% | R3,258,000 | Leave provision accrual and reversal |
Digital & media Meta, Google Ads, web and subscriptions | R447,361 | R551,252 | R103,891 under | 28% | R1,606,297 | July boosting halved; saving held for the spring sparkling-flavour launch |
Studio, software & equipment DTP studio, Adobe, Monday, NAS and signage | R123,663 | R113,281 | R10,382 over | 37% | R331,621 | NAS storage and umbrella repairs were not budgeted; R18K more committed |
| Community Engagement | R236,383 | R299,783 | R63,400 under | 14% | R1,729,420 | |
Events, Padel & sponsorship Knysna, MUT, Hermanus; Padel product and sponsorship | R233,849 | R299,783 | R65,934 under | 30% | R769,348 | Woordfees R115K committed for October |
Schools programme Colouring competition | R2,534 | R0 | R2,534 over | 1% | R400,072 | Main spend Feb '27; R44K of 2025 winner pay-outs still due |
Coastal Campaign Festive merchandise and courier | R0 | R0 | Not yet due | 0% | R560,000 | Scheduled for November |
| Content Production | R170,771 | R197,750 | R26,979 under | 28% | R616,000 | R10K committed for August content |
| Store & Product Investment | R175,623 | R385,000 | R209,377 under | 26% | R685,000 | |
Shop revamp programme R10K cash-back per qualifying store | R40,000 | R150,000 | R110,000 under | 9% | R450,000 | 4 revamps paid; R110K committed |
Custom Labels platform eCommerce | R0 | R100,000 | R100,000 under | 0% | R100,000 | Budgeted May–Aug, nothing spent yet |
The Water Club 3,000 refill sleeves | R135,623 | R135,000 | R623 over | 100% | R135,000 | Delivered, on budget |
| Fund Administration | R228,189 | R238,753 | R10,564 under | 27% | R842,467 | Tracks the lower income |
| Active brand investment | R2,256,044 | R2,871,819 | R615,775 under | 25% | R9,068,805 | Strategic Reserve (R1,462,029) untouched |
Local Marketing Fund 25% franchisee allocation — shop branding, local ads, sponsorships | R541,557 | R541,557 | Spend as used | 22% | R2,407,355 | CBW shop branding and advertising; Goodwood, Tygerberg and Southdale rebrands |
| Total expenses | R2,797,601 | R3,413,376 | R615,775 under | 24% | R11,476,159 |
Spent to datePlanned by end of August
Full-year outlook — spend
R8.75M vs R9.07M budget
Actuals, plus committed spend, plus the remaining budget put national spend about R318K under budget for the year.
Full-year outlook — income
R10.40M vs R10.53M budget
If the rest of the year lands on budget, the income shortfall stays at around R132K.
Coming up · Sep – Dec 2026
Revamp cash-backs (R110K committed), 2025 colouring-competition pay-outs (R44K), Woordfees in October (R115K) and the Coastal Campaign in November (R560K).
Source: Marketing Report — Budget vs Actuals, FYE 2027 (Aug'26). Fund balance = opening balance plus income less expenses.
FY2027 budget summary
The full picture
Every programme tested, every rand justified on strategic merit and traceable to FY26 results.
Budget by pillar
| Investment area | Where the money goes | Total | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand & Capability | In-house team (R3.26M), always-on digital and media (R1.61M), creative studio and software (R0.33M) | R5,195,918 | 49% |
| Community Engagement | Events and sponsorships, Coastal Campaign, Padel and schools programme | R1,729,420 | 16% |
| Content Production | Creators, campaigns and brand storytelling | R616,000 | 6% |
| Store & Product Investment | Shop revamps, digital sales channel and The Water Club refill project | R685,000 | 7% |
| Fund Administration | Provision for bad debt (8% of income) | R842,467 | 8% |
| Total active brand investment | R9,068,805 | 86% | |
| Strategic Reserve | Budgeted income not yet allocated, ready for the right opportunity | R1,462,029 | 14% |
| Total fund | Budgeted levy income, FYE 2027 | R10,530,834 | 100% |
Local Marketing Fund: a further R2,407,355 (25% of each franchisee's FY26 levies) is ring-fenced for franchisees' own local marketing. With the R2,334,475 opening balance, the FYE 2027 budget closes the year at R1,389,150.
FY26 → FY27 decisions
Events rationalised
Weaker activations removed so the brand shows up properly at the events that count.
Cooler Conversations discontinued
Budget moved to content formats that perform better.
Digital agency under review
The partner that delivers the best results gets the work.
Strategic reserve held back
R1,462,029 ready for the right opportunity.
Growing together
Every contribution to the Marketing Fund is a shared investment in the Oasis brand — in the stores, the campaigns, the events and the people that keep this network growing. Thank you for your continued support.
404Outlets
5Markets
R10.5MFY27 fund
Evidence behind the FY27 plan · results from FY26
What we've learned
The FY27 plan is built on what the fund's results showed. Each lesson below links the evidence to the decision it led to and the money behind it.
109.7K
Google conversions
+52,489 on the year before
R6.70
Cost per conversion
Down R1.53 · industry R15–40
20,000
Schools books
76 stores · 98% distributed
3
Major event sponsorships
Knysna, MUT, Skukuza
Lesson → evidence → decision
| Area | What we learned | Evidence | What changed in FY27 | FY27 budget | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital | Search and paid social give the most measurable return. | 109.7K Google conversions at R6.70 each (down R1.53); 13.5% click-through rate on R739K of ad spend. | Digital budget held: Google Ads R780K, Meta R585K. | R1,606,297 | Kept |
| Content | Creator content outperforms traditional advertising. | 22.1M social views — 18.4M on Facebook, 3.7M on Instagram. | Roster cut to the creators who performed. | R616,000 | Refined |
| Content | Cooler Conversations cost too much for its reach. | Strong content, but a high cost per view compared with always-on posts. | Format discontinued; budget moved to always-on content. | — | Cut |
| Events | A few well-chosen events beat many small ones. | Knysna, MUT and Skukuza earned Runner's World, Men's Health and Women's Health coverage. Several others delivered weak brand return. | Wally Hayward, False Bay and Gauteng Cycling cut; Loskop added as headline sponsor. | R1,329,348 | Refocused |
| Community | The Schools Programme builds goodwill cheaply and at scale. | 20,000 books printed, 98% distributed through 76 franchise stores. | Scaled to 66,000+ books across five markets. | R400,072 | Scaled up |
| Stores | How a store looks shapes how the brand is seen. | Consistently positive customer feedback in revamped stores. | Revamp cash-back extended to about 40 stores a year. | R450,000 | Expanded |
| Network | Campaigns land better when franchisees take part. | 76 stores ran the schools programme; 41 coastal stores ran the festive campaign. | Quarterly reporting to franchisees; local activation support kept. | R2,407,355 local fund | Formalised |
| Innovation | New refill formats draw interest but need marketing behind them. | Water ATM live at Kempton Park | Glen Marais; POD and Refill Box launched. | Activation funded from the strategic reserve when ready. | From reserve | Supported |
How Oasis compares
| Network | Typical levy | Where the money goes |
|---|---|---|
| Famous Brands (Wimpy, Steers, Debonairs) | 4–6% of turnover | National TV, radio, mass promotions |
| Spar / Pick n Pay franchise | 1–3% of turnover | Local co-op marketing, regional support |
| Service / specialty retail | 2–4% of turnover | Digital, community, local activations |
| Oasis Water | Levy-based fund | Spread across digital, content, events, community and stores — no single channel dominates |
Benchmarks from public franchise disclosures and industry reports, 2025–2026. Rates vary by region, store format and agreement.
Risks the plan has to manage
Retailer own brands
Pick n Pay, Checkers and Woolworths purified water competes at shelf and on price.
Home delivery
Growing in Gauteng and bypasses the refill store.
No above-the-line spend
Radio and print at R0 leaves seasonal and regional opportunities untapped; the reserve can cover them.
SADC markets
RO3 Water, Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini share the fund without ring-fenced investment.
What the evidence can't show yet
Most of the results above are reach, views and clicks. They show the brand is seen, not how many store visits or sales it drove. FY27 closes that gap:
Quarterly reporting
Franchisees get a quarterly update on spend, active campaigns and results.
Measurement linked to sales
Track campaign-to-store attribution, cost per store visit and basket-size impact.
More local involvement
More tools, support and visibility for stores that take part in national campaigns.
FY2027 marketing plan · May 2026 – April 2027
The FY2027 plan
FY26 showed what works; FY27 backs it harder. Every line item was weighed against one question: does this grow the brand and deliver value to franchisees?
R10,530,834
Total fund
Budgeted levy income FYE 2027
R9,068,805
Active investment
86% of fund
R1,462,029
Strategic reserve
14% of fund
404
Outlets
Retail, factory and express · 5 markets
How the fund is allocated
49%
Brand & Capability
R5,195,918
In-house team (R3.26M), always-on digital and media (R1.61M), creative studio and software (R0.33M)
16%
Community Engagement
R1,729,420
Events and sponsorships, Coastal Campaign, Padel and schools programme
6%
Content Production
R616,000
Creators, campaigns and brand storytelling
7%
Store & Product Investment
R685,000
Shop revamps, digital sales channel and The Water Club refill project
8%
Fund Administration
R842,467
Provision for bad debt (8% of income)
14%
Strategic Reserve
R1,462,029
Budgeted income not yet allocated, ready for the right opportunity
Five markets, one shared brand
🇿🇦 South Africa🇳🇦 Namibia — RO3🇧🇼 Botswana🇱🇸 Lesotho🇸🇿 eSwatini
Brand & capability
The people behind your brand
The biggest single investment is the in-house team and specialist network behind every campaign, event and piece of content — over 20 people working on the Oasis brand every day.
Financial management
Protecting every rand. Every contribution is accounted for, allocated and reported on, so franchisees can trust their money is going where it should.
Finance team allocation: R816,000 (R68,000 per month)
Creative & studio
Bringing the brand to life. The team behind every campaign, social post, in-store graphic and brand asset. In-house means faster work, tighter consistency and creative built for Oasis.
DTP studio allocation: R2,442,000 (R203,500 per month)
Total people investment
Investing in the fund means investing in the people who show up for the brand every day.
R3,258,000
31% of fundDigital & media
Always on
By the time a customer walks into a store, they have already searched, scrolled and decided. The digital budget makes sure Oasis is the brand they find.
FY27 channels
Paid social — Facebook & Instagram
Always-on presence: products, campaigns and community. R585,000 budgeted (R48,750 per month).
Search — Google Ads
Reaches high-intent buyers searching for water, refills and purified water. R780,000 budgeted (R65,000 per month).
Digital agency — under review
Campaign management, optimisation and reporting. The best-performing partner earns the brief.
On standby — radio & print
Not in the active plan; the Strategic Reserve allows quick activation when the right opportunity appears.
FY26 Google Ads performance
| Metric | FY26 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Total ad spend | R739K | +R266,071 |
| Conversions | 109.7K | +52,489 |
| Cost per conversion | R6.70 | −R1.53 |
| Impressions | 1.03M | +495,940 |
| Clicks | 138K | +64,086 |
| Click-through rate | 13.5% | Above industry avg |
| Avg cost per click | R5.34 | −R1.03 |
| Impression share | 40.55% | +18.90 pts |
| Lost — budget cap | 20.99% | −5.27 pts |
| Lost — ad rank | 38.47% | −13.63 pts |
Total digital & media investment
Digital visibility is not an advertising channel — it is brand infrastructure.
R1,606,297
15% of fundContent production
Content that works
FY27 backs a tighter group of creators, chosen on what performed in FY26, who tell the Oasis story in a way that feels real.
Where the content budget goes
Flagship production
Campaigns, brand films and on-screen talent that set the tone for everything else.
Events & social
Captures event moments and keeps social active between campaigns.
Lifestyle & outdoor creators
Reach health-conscious, active consumers who already align with Oasis.
SADC markets
Content for Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini to keep RO3 Water and Oasis relevant in each market.
From the FY26 content library
Total content investment
Advertising brings people in. Content keeps them.
R616,000
6% of fundEvents & sponsorships
Events that matter
FY26 proved the right events deliver media coverage, consumer exposure and credibility. FY27 cuts the weaker activations and adds Loskop as a headline sponsorship.
FY27 event calendar
| When | Event | What we do | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov – Dec 2026 | Festive Season Coastal Campaign | The biggest brand moment of the year. Branded merchandise goes into customers' hands at coastal stores during peak summer trading. | Scheduled · R560,000 |
| May 2026 · Feb 2027 · Mar 2027 | Triathlon Series — three events | Activation, sampling and digital coverage at Hermanus, Langebaan and Cape Town. | Hermanus delivered · R31,960 vs R79,783 |
| July 2026 | Knysna Forest Marathon | Product, team on the ground and athlete recovery support at one of South Africa's most iconic races. | Delivered · R113,161 vs R105,000 |
| October 2026 | STB: Woordfees | A cultural event with a loyal, quality-conscious audience. | Approved · R115,000 committed |
| April 2027 | Loskop Marathon | Main sponsor: naming rights, brand placement and product exposure across the event. | Planned |
FY26 event highlights
MUT by UTMB
Knysna Forest Marathon
Oasis event activation
Cooler Conversations at KnysnaTotal events investment
Events, Coastal Campaign and Padel sponsorship. People remember what they experience.
R1,329,348
13% of fundCommunity & schools
Starting early
Some marketing delivers results this month. Some builds customers for the next ten years. The Schools Programme does both.
60,000+
Books — South Africa
FY26: 20,000 books, 76 stores
6,000+
Books — SADC region
Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, eSwatini
5
Markets reached
3× FY26 scale
National Colouring Competition
Each year, Grade 3 and 4 learners across South Africa and the SADC region get an Oasis colouring book. It puts the brand in front of tens of thousands of children — and their parents — in a way that feels genuine, not like advertising.
Why it works. Children drive household decisions more than most brands realise. Parents notice when a company invests in their kids' schools, and schools remember who shows up year after year.
Budget: books R303,838 · winners R52,235 · courier R44,000. Main spend February 2027.
FY26 competition
Total schools investment
Across five markets, one of the most cost-effective things the fund does.
R400,072
4% of fundStore & product
Your store. Your brand.
A national campaign builds awareness, but the brand lives or dies in the store. This investment goes straight into the franchisee's business.
What the budget funds
Shop Revamp Programme
A R10,000 cash-back helps around 40 qualifying stores a year refresh signage, fit-out and branding. R450,000 budgeted.
Custom Labels platform
Keeps the online custom-labels channel active and growing. R100,000 budgeted.
The Water Club refill project
3,000 refill sleeves. R135,000 — delivered in May.
Revamped stores
Revamped interior
Brand window
Branded counter and mat
Product and brand displayTotal store & product investment
A stronger store is a stronger brand. It works both ways.
R685,000
7% of fundInnovation · introduced in FY26
Reimagining how South Africa refills
Three products launched in FY26 move from pilot to programme in FY27, with real marketing support behind each one.
Water ATM
Connects to in-store tanks so customers can refill 24 hours a day: select a volume, pay by card, place the bottle. Live at Oasis Kempton Park | Glen Marais.
Why it matters
- Extends revenue hours beyond trading times
- Removes the biggest barrier to refill — store availability
- Reduces single-use plastic
- A scalable model for network-wide rollout
Water POD
A stand-alone Oasis unit for parking lots and high-traffic sites — the full refill experience without the cost of a full store.
The bigger picture
- Unlocks sites not viable for a full store
- Physical brand presence in new communities
- Lower capital than a full build-out
- Promotes reusable containers
Refill Box
A branded carrier for 4 × 5L bottles, or a mix of 5L and 1.5L — sold on its own or bundled at the point of purchase.
Why it wins in-store
- Higher basket value
- Easier to carry, so customers buy more
- A structured merchandising opportunity
- Customers return with the box
An advantage no water brand currently matches
The Water ATM, Water POD and Refill Box work together as a complete refill offering — in-store, after hours and on the go. FY27 puts marketing behind all three.
Fund administration
The strategic reserve
A 14% reserve lets Oasis respond to opportunities during the year without disrupting a single committed programme.
R1,462,029
Strategic reserve
14% of total fund · untouched to date
R842,467
Provision for bad debt
8% of levy income
What it is
Deliberate flexibility. Holding back 14% means the fund can act when the right opportunity comes up — new partnerships, emerging channels, or moments too good to miss — without touching committed programmes.
The reserve is the budgeted income not yet allocated to a line item (income R10,530,834 less national budget R9,068,805).
How it's used
Opportunity, not habit. Every proposal is judged on its merits and must show clear brand value and a realistic plan. Candidates include innovation activation and radio or print in the right market or season.