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Amazon Expands Presence In South Africa

Amazon has opened a Seller Success Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, to support independent sellers and strengthen its presence in the country’s competitive e-commerce market.
The centre, located at Amazon’s head office, offers services such as on-the-spot seller registration, training programs, and assistance with product imaging and logistics.
The launch comes as Amazon faces stiff competition from local e-commerce leader Takealot. Robert Koen, Managing Director of Amazon Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the importance of product diversity in meeting customer needs. “The biggest thing is product breadth for our customers. We just want to have loads of products that people can buy,” Koen said.
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The unveiling also aligns with Amazon’s broader goal of driving digital adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These businesses, which employ about 50% of South Africa’s workforce, often face barriers in accessing technology. The centre seeks to provide hands-on support to bridge these gaps.
The opening of the Seller Success Centre follows Amazon’s launch of Amazon.co.za in South Africa last year. The country’s e-commerce sector has been growing rapidly, fuelled by increased internet access, the proliferation of smart devices, and the rising popularity of online shopping.
A recent report, Online Retail in South Africa 2024, compiled by World Wide Worx in partnership with Mastercard, Peach Payments, and AskAfrica, revealed that online retail now accounts for 6 percent of the total retail sector. In 2023, the sector generated sales worth $59.2 million (R1.1 trillion).