Philile Thusi
Abstract
The COVID-19 vaccine has completely altered individuals’ lives financially and mentally. The emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the entrance of COVID-19 vaccines into the South African market. Hence, this study aims to examine the role of mobile marketing in promoting acceptance and overcoming hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa through the lens of innovation resistance theory. A total of 424 responses were obtained from South African consumers. Quantitative research was the chosen research method, with a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The questionnaires were distributed online via Google Forms, which were processed and analysed using SPSS and structural equation modelling.
The study demonstrated that perceived risk and mobile marketing have positive significant relationships with innovation resistance, while trust has a negative influence on innovation resistance. The study’s findings are significant to the healthcare industry in South Africa and can be used as the basis to develop strategies to promote vaccines and overcome resistance.