As digital transformation gathers pace, Amazon continues to strengthen its presence across Africa. After Egypt, the multinational is offering its services in South Africa, through dedicated local websites.  

U.S. retail giant Amazon announced on Tuesday, October 17, the launch of Amazon.co.za, its platform dedicated to the South African market, for 2024.  

According to Amazon, the new service will offer South African sellers the opportunity to reach customers across the country, and rapidly grow and develop their businesses while leveraging the innovation capabilities provided by Amazon.

"We look forward to launching Amazon.co.za in South Africa, providing local sellers, brand owners, and entrepreneurs—small and large—the opportunity to grow their business with Amazon, and deliver great value and a convenient shopping experience for customers across South Africa," said Robert Koen, general manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa region for Amazon.

In recent years, the e-commerce market in South Africa has been dominated by local players such as Takealot, developed by Naspers, a South African conglomerate. The launch of Amazon.co.za is expected to intensify competition and encourage an increase in online shopping after the pandemic gave e-commerce the opportunity to gain a foothold.

The announcement of this new service comes a year after the company opened an office in South Africa. With Amazon.co.za, South Africa will become the 21st country to have a dedicated Amazon domain. It will also be the 2nd African country, after Egypt, where the American e-commerce giant is setting up a dedicated local website.

In South Africa, Amazon will offer a range of valuable tools, programs, and services “including hundreds of thousands of hours of free educational content to support sellers at every stage of their journey, including articles, videos, webinars, and case studies," we learn. 

Samira Njoya