Here's how Amanda Cromhout made it to the top of the global loyalty industry

Stephen Grootes interviews Amanda Cromhout, founder and CEO of Truth.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

Amanda Cromhout is the founder and CEO of Truth, a Cape Town–based consultancy that advises some of the world’s most recognised brands on how to build meaningful, effective loyalty strategies.

But her path to becoming an internationally respected expert in customer loyalty was shaped long before she launched her own business.

Cromhout began her career in large corporate environments, holding senior executive roles at British Airways and Woolworths. These experiences gave her a front-row seat to how big organisations think about customers, and crucially, where they often get it wrong.

She saw firsthand how loyalty programmes could become overly complex, inward-looking, and disconnected from real customer value.

That insight would later become the foundation of her work.

In 2004, Cromhout founded Truth, driven by a belief that loyalty should be simple, authentic and rooted in genuine customer centricity. Under her leadership, the consultancy grew into a global player, working with major brands such as Pick n Pay, Nedbank and Virgin Active.

Truth’s approach focuses not on gimmicks or short-term rewards, but on designing loyalty strategies that deliver tangible value to customers while supporting long-term business growth.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Cromhout says for loyalty programmes to be a success, the consumer ultimately has to benefit.

She says her career has taken her around the world, where she works to get brands to be more in touch with the soul of consumers.

"Getting the balance right between what is fabulous for the consumer, what's gonna make a difference for the consumer and also equally, what is commercially viable for the brands who are operating these loyalty programmes."

- Amanda Cromhout, founder and CEO - Truth

"A lot of the work that we do at Truth is working with brands around the world. I've just had the privilege of visiting a retailer in Australia who really excelled at the soul of getting close to their customers. Getting their customers to love, love, love their brand."

- Amanda Cromhout, founder and CEO - Truth

"I really am saying this without any bias. I'm British, so I'm originally from the UK. I love the South African market, not just because I love living here, but because I feel that this market is very advanced and mature in the loyalty industry."

- Amanda Cromhout, founder and CEO - Truth

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.