eCommerce
How Telematics is Driving eCommerce during COVID-19
If ever there was a time for the eCommerce sector to adopt telematics technology, it would be now: COVID-19 has disrupted the retail landscape, with more South Africans now choosing e-commerce as their preferred shopping channel over traditional brick-and-mortar stores. According to a Mastercard study, as much as 68% of South African consumers said they are shopping more online since the onset of the pandemic. More online shopping means that there are more deliveries to be made, and the logistics industry has had to scale operations to meet the growing demand. The various levels of lockdown, COVID-19 regulations and people working from home have created a greater reliance on home deliveries, with the industry now findi...
Payflex Introduces Online ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ Service in South Africa
Image sourced from Travel Money Oz Payflex has launched its buy now pay later online retail service to South Africa. The company – which has seen extraordinary popularity in Australia, the USA and Europe – lets users shop online and pay later, interest-free over six weeks. “Traditionally paying via instalments in South Africa has been associated with high-interest charges, as you are penalised for paying for the item over time,” says Paul Behrmann, CEO and founder of Payflex. “But by using Payflex, every purchase you make is interest-free. You’ll know exactly when each of the four interest-free payments is due and there are no hidden costs. It puts you in control of your finances.” Here’s how to use Payflex /* custom css */ .tdi_3_dee.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_dee.td-a-rec-im...
Flutterwave Partners with Paypal to Transform eCommerce Payments for African Merchants
PayPal has joined forces with Flutterwave to allow PayPal users around the world to pay African merchants through Flutterwave’s platform. This collaboration is expected to be ‘instrumental’ in supporting SMEs and freelancers to overcome the many challenges presented by the highly fragmented and complex payment and banking infrastructure, as well as connecting them with more than 377 million PayPal account holders globally. Traditionally, Africa’s eCommerce ecosystem has lacked suitable payment solutions to meet the demand for seamless transactions worldwide, further constraining its contributions to the global digital economy. However, this collaboration hopes to eliminate significant barriers that have previously hindered African consumers and businesses from the untapped potential of cro...
New Online Retail Platform Launches in South Africa
Netcash has partnered with Ecwid E-Commerce to launch Netcash Shop. Powered by Ecwid E-Commerce’s platform, Netcash Shop is expected to allow merchants to create a digital eCommerce store where they can sell their products. And thanks to the tight integration with Netcash’s Payment Gateway, merchants can accept a wide range of payments options. According to the companies, merchants who use Netcash Shop will pay half as much as those using alternative eCommerce platforms and shopping cart options. For companies that already have a website, a Netcash Shop shopping cart or shop can easily be added to a site built on a content management system like WordPress, Wix or Joomla. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_fb7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_fb7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Tho...
Security and Medical Response Platform, Aura Expands to Kenya
Security and medical response platform, Aura has announced its plan to expand into Kenya by offering its emergency and medical response services in Nairobi and Mombasa. The rollout will be led by the newly appointed General Manager, Hilary Itela. Warren Myers, CEO of AURA, says that the intention is to address the fragmented and idle response capacity in Kenya while also “democratising access to critical services by making them more widely available and more affordable than ever before”. With over 15 years of experience in various management roles in East and Central Africa, Itela brings with him a wealth of specialist expertise within various verticals including security, eCommerce, logistics, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and renewable energy. In addition to working closely with Kenyan partners ...
Mastercard Partners with MTN to Enable MoMo Customers to Transact Globally
Mastercard has joined forces with MTN to enable millions of MTN MoMo customers in 16 African countries to shop and pay online with global merchants. Through a Mastercard virtual payment solution linked to MTN MoMo (Mobile Money) wallets, consumers can now unlock a host of opportunities and shop from their favourite international brands online while in their home countries or travelling abroad. The announcement comes at a time when eCommerce and online shopping are reaching record levels across Africa. According to the Economy 2021 outlook conducted by the Mastercard Economics Institute, 20-30% of the COVID-19-related surge in eCommerce will remain a permanent feature of overall retail spending. And shopping through mobile is largely how consumers access these opportunities. Across Sub-Saha...
Why SMEs are the Lifeblood of the South African Economy
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent a staggering 98% of business in South Africa today. The fact that SMEs also employ between 50 and 60% of the country’s workforce and are responsible for a quarter of the job growth in the private sector – according to McKinsey – means they truly are the backbone of the South African economy. Yet it is SMEs that have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown regulations have wreaked havoc, with the cash flows essential to sustaining smaller businesses completely drying up in some instances. Tragic stories of once-thriving businesses having to close their doors litter the financial landscape, and certainly, the virus could not come along at a worse time for owners already grappling with a precarious economy prior to its arrival. Bu...
4 Digital Payment Trends to Watch in 2021
For many businesses that had previously relied on selling their products or services in person, accepting online payments has been a significant step in digitising their offering to the local market. As eCommerce adoption rates continue to soar in 2021, digital payment solutions will need to keep pace to ensure that customers continue to shop online. Jonathan Smit, Managing Director and Founder of PayFast, predicts that 2021 will continue to see an uptake in eCommerce use and digital payments in the following four ways: Contactless continued – contactless payments have become widely accepted. Whether it be by smartphone, card or wearable device – tap-and-go has become a convenient staple for South African shoppers. Additionally, many are still wary of the COVID-19 virus spreading through s...
Unpacking the Digitalisation of South African SMEs
In just a matter of months, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world at the speed of light. Most businesses weren’t prepared and were forced to adapt to extraordinary challenges in order to continue with business operations –whilst battling to stay afloat. In South Africa, many businesses have opted for mass work-from-home policies for their staff, as businesses navigate through new ways of working as a direct result of the pandemic. Digital transformation has become the enabler, propelling businesses into the future. Technologies like collaboration and online meeting software have become a necessity through the transition to digitally enable remote working. The acceleration saw a broader...
PayFast Records Single R299 950 Purchase on Black Friday
The number of new shoppers introduced to eCommerce over lockdown boosted Black Friday weekend total online transaction volumes by 50%, compared to 2019. This is according to data released by online payment gateway PayFast. The company processed a 283% increase in total payment volumes on Black Friday alone compared to a normal busy day such as payday. “This year’s Black Friday spend surpassed the volumes we’ve seen in previous years. The rapid adoption of eCommerce over the course of 2020 has meant that we’ve seen more people shopping online, especially amid fears of a COVID-19 resurgence,” says Jonathan Smit, Founder of PayFast. The highest transaction for the day was R299 950 and online shoppers spent more per basket at R1 243, compared to the 2020 average basket value of R803. “Alongsid...
FNB Expects 10% eCommerce Transaction Boost on Black Friday
FNB says that it is expecting a 10% increase in the total number of eCommerce transactions over Black Friday and Cyber Monday – as many consumers who participate in Black Friday may opt to shop online instead of going into brick and mortar stores. This is comparable to 2019 where Black Friday weekend transaction volumes on FNB POS (Point of Sale) devices grew by 32% compared to 2018, while eCommerce transactions grew over 30%. FNB also says that its merchants have also upped their game by investing in their platforms to ensure a seamless sales experience, regardless of the types of devices used by consumers when shopping. One such example is increased support for QR Code payments, where the customer opts to checkout through simply scanning the presented QR Code to pay. FNB Virtual Cr...
4 Ways to Safely and Securely Navigate Black Friday Online
Black Friday in 2020 is expected to see more South Africans than ever before shopping, and paying, online. According to a recent McKinsey & Company consumer sentiment survey, 40% of consumers intend to continue online shopping spend even when the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Thomas Pays, CEO and co-founder of digital payments company Ozow, says the sharp rise in online shopping and eCommerce has highlighted the need for innovative technology-driven solutions that allow shoppers to shop and pay safely online – including consumers who don’t have credit or debit cards. With this year’s Black Friday deals running over four weeks at many retailers, Pays’ says the way to successfully navigate Black Friday responsibly relies on four factors: Stick to a plan and set budget. The overwhelming numb...
