AI Service Robots in South Africa: Testing and extending the AIDUA Model

Vol 22 | Issue 1 | 55-75 | March 2026

Sarah T Jembere *
Department of Marketing and Retail Management,
Faculty of Management Science,
Durban University of Technology,
Durban, South Africa
SarahJ@dut.ac.za

Nkululeko P Zungu
Department of Strategic Communication,
University of Johannesburg,
Johannesburg, South Africa

*Corresponding author

DOI

Abstract

Whilst AI Service Robots (AISRs) are transforming Hospitality services worldwide, their adoption in emerging markets remains less explored. In particular, the applicability of the Artificial Intelligence Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) model within the South African Hospitality industry has received limited empirical attention. This study investigated consumer acceptance of AISRs through the AIDUA framework and tested its validity in a South African context. Data was collected via an online survey from 301 participants using a scenario-based method and analyzed with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 29. The findings show that hedonic motivation, social influence, and trust are the strongest predictors of AISR acceptance. Interestingly, anthropomorphism had an adverse effect, indicating that excessive human-like features may lead to rejection. Theoretically, the researchers refine the model by splitting effort expectancy into two aspects, namely time-related and intellect-related, highlighting a dual influence of effort in emerging markets. In practice, to boost AISR acceptance, marketers and retailers should focus on enhancing enjoyment and trust whilst avoiding over-humanization in design and deployment. Limitations of the research include the use of a scenario-based methodology and non-probability sampling. Future research should thus validate these findings with real-world AISR implementations and further assess intellectual and time-based effort expectancy dimensions.

Keywords: AIDUA Model, South African Hospitality industry, AI Service Robots, AI acceptance, technology acceptance

Back to Volume 22 | Issue 1 | March 2026

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