Trends: 10 Trends and Predictions for the South African E-commerce Industry

The question for the South African e-commerce industry is no longer whether growth will happen, but how much growth the industry will see. From almost all measurable factors, a nationwide e-commerce boom is imminent.

Let's uncover the top 10 market trends and predictions for the South African online shopping industry in the future:

1. Customers at the center of service

The future belongs to retailers who strategically focus on customer-centric approaches. Retailers who learn from others' mistakes, turn operational weaknesses into strategic advantages through innovation, and value people more than products.

The most crucial factor for successful online retail activities is customer experience and satisfaction. In a recent Vectra survey, no less than 75% of respondents considered it very important, while another 23% considered it somewhat important, resulting in a 98% importance rating. This positions customer service as a necessary condition for online retail—without it, everything else is impossible.

2. Reinvesting in online retail

A lack of reinvestment in the digital foundation of online retail businesses is an obstacle to growth. Established online retailers have strengthened their digital presence and improved their fulfillment models, while many traditional retailers are beginning to see significant growth in their online offerings.

3. More online shopping users

Currently, South Africa has 32.55 million e-commerce users, with an expected 6.38 million new users shopping online by 2024. The average online spending per online shopping user is projected to be 1648 Rand. 47% of offline shoppers will transition to online within the next year.

4. Unstoppable growth in local online sales

Data shows that South African e-commerce sales are growing at 20-35% annually.

5. The era of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce will drive the continued growth of online shopping in South Africa. The most significant market trend driving future growth is mobile shopping: South African consumers prefer using smartphones over computers when shopping online. A mobile-first approach with high website performance will achieve the expected growth.

6. Safer payments

Convenience and price remain the main advantages of online shopping. Removing the biggest barriers will include reliable payment methods and improved shopping experiences, from easier-to-use websites to more product information. Optimized checkout pages allow users to make purchases as quickly as possible. Convenient and fast payment methods that don't require lengthy verification increase conversion rates.

7. Personalization

Creating advanced personalized customer experiences both within and outside websites to meet customer needs and desires throughout their journey. Global research and consulting firm Gartner predicts that merchants who successfully leverage personalization technologies to create more personalized online customer experiences will see a 15% increase in profits by 2023.

8. Improved product search

Websites should have well-designed, advanced product searches that instantly connect shoppers with the products they want to buy. Merchants should remember that consumers want to search using their own words, not just the keywords specified by the merchant. In the context of e-commerce personalization, this presents a tremendous opportunity for brands to make it easier for consumers to find what they want, thereby deepening the connection with consumers.

9. Untapped opportunities in business

The transformation of the retail industry had already begun before the pandemic, but the impact of the pandemic accelerated the pace of retail transformation, reaching groundbreaking speeds. The surge in South African e-commerce highlights untapped opportunities in omnichannel and hybrid e-commerce—providing a platform that supports both B2B and B2C sales.

10. Local online shopping behavior

--25% of South African online shoppers are aged 60 and above

--Over 55% of local online shoppers are male

--The most popular online purchases are instant (instant gratification; items that don't require delivery time and can be bought almost immediately, such as travel tickets)

--Flexible delivery options are a key factor motivating local online shoppers