In this series we will guide through the process of setting up your eCommerce store in South Africa.

Introduction to eCommerce in South Africa

Ever since Groupon first entered South Africa, the online marketplace has changed. 

Before Groupon, web shoppers were reluctant to divulge their credit card details online and a general feeling of distrust reigned.

Groupon came into South Africa and started offering these web shoppers the type of discounted deals that were simply just too hard to say no to. 

The early adopters took their chances and the service worked great, suddenly there was a frenzy for these fantastic deals and South Africans saw that, what was sold, was delivered.

Soon online transactions became a trusted and convenient way to shop at your own leisure. 

eCommerce stores like Spree (now Superbalist), Kalahari (now Takealot) and Yuppiechef started to flourish and today continue to grow month-on-month, even after the initial Groupon rush has faded and the company closed its doors in South Africa.

Lately Uber, UberEats and Covid-19 pandemic have been huge drivers towards people accepting and embracing all thing digital economy. Many more online stores have opened up and are thriving.

Setting up an eCommerce store has many challenges and in this series of articles we will cover the big decision areas, one-by-one.

1.   What are the best eCommerce platform to use for your store?

2.   What are the best payment gateways for South African stores?

3.   What are you best options for courier and delivery services for your eCommerce store?