In this paper, we establish a connection between Rokhlin dimension and the absorption of certain model actions on strongly selfabsorbing C * -algebras. Namely, as to be made precise in the paper, let G be a well-behaved locally compact group. If D is a strongly selfabsorbing C * -algebra, and α : G A is an action on a separable, Dabsorbing C * -algebra that has finite Rokhlin dimension with commuting towers, then α tensorially absorbs every semi-strongly self-absorbing Gactions on D. In particular, this is the case when α satisfies any version of what is called the Rokhlin property, such as for G = R or G = Z k . This contains several existing results of similar nature as special cases. We will in fact prove a more general version of this theorem, which is intended for use in subsequent work. We will then discuss some nontrivial applications. Most notably it is shown that for any k ≥ 1 and on any strongly self-absorbing Kirchberg algebra, there exists a unique R k -action having finite Rokhlin dimension with commuting towers up to (very strong) cocycle conjugacy.