Determinants of green purchasing behavior among South African youth: the roles of interpersonal influence, green trust, media exposure, environmental attitude, and price sensitivity

Despite growing youth interest in sustainability, there is limited empirical evidence explaining how interpersonal influence, green trust, and media exposure jointly shape green purchasing behavior among young consumers. It also remains unclear whether environmental attitude mediates these relationships and whether price sensitivity conditions the attitude–behavior link. This study adopts a quantitative, explanatory design and analyses data collected via a self-administered questionnaire from 766 youths in Gauteng Province, South Africa, using a non-probability sampling approach, complemented by stratification controls to enhance the sample’s structure. The findings reveal that interpersonal influence, green trust, and media exposure significantly predict green purchasing behavior, both individually and as an integrated higher-order construct conceptualized as external green influence. Environmental attitude partially mediates this relationship, indicating that external influences are internalized into favorable evaluations that motivate behavior, while also exerting a direct effect. Additionally, price sensitivity moderates the relationship between environmental attitude and green purchasing behavior, highlighting the constraining role of economic considerations. The study recommends that businesses and policymakers leverage social networks, strengthen the credibility of green claims, and utilize targeted media strategies, while addressing affordability barriers to promote sustainable consumption. Overall, the results provide a more integrated understanding of the social, informational, and economic drivers of green purchasing behavior among South African youth.