South Africa's growing informal e-commerce sector

Jan

Jan

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South Africa's secret WhatsApp economy

There is a growing peer-to-peer referral-based online economy in South Africa fuelled by platforms like WhatsApp that host user-created groups.

South African e-commerce veteran Justin Drennan says a huge number of online transactions are happening under the radar, creating a flourishing social commerce ecosystem.
 
"agents are posting listings to hundreds of groups, said Drennan."

Big secret indeed
 
This is probably also Shein / Temu's fault? Should Whatsapp also be banned?
 
Bliksis said:
In other words, buy and sell groups? No?
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That's exactly what I was thinking.
Every street and neighbourhood seems to have a Whatsapp trading group, even in the very up market areas.
I've seen loaded old tannies selling used continental plates for R10 a pop :cautious:
elf_lord_ZC5 said:
On FaceBook already ...
Click to expand...
For these kinds of localised community trading groups Whatsapp and Telegram are better, you don't need to contend with all the fluff and garbage that comes with being on FB.
 
airborne said:
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Every street and neighbourhood seems to have a Whatsapp trading group, even in the very up market areas.
I've seen loaded old tannies selling used continental plates for R10 a pop :cautious:

For these kinds of localised community trading groups Whatsapp and Telegram are better, you don't need to contend with all the fluff and garbage that comes with being on FB.
Click to expand...


Parted ways with Facebook many, many years ago.
 
Jan said:
South Africa's secret WhatsApp economy

There is a growing peer-to-peer referral-based online economy in South Africa fuelled by platforms like WhatsApp that host user-created groups.

South African e-commerce veteran Justin Drennan says a huge number of online transactions are happening under the radar, creating a flourishing social commerce ecosystem.
Click to expand...
Justin Drennan is only bitching and moaning because he is losing sales on WantItAll through private, more affordable sales on social media platforms like WhatsApp. Hey Justin, if your prices for difficult to get international products weren't so ridiculously overpriced, people might actually use WantItAll. Personally, I have not even bothered to try and purchase products on WantItAll because the prices are TOTALLY outrageous and a complete rip off
 
G P said:
Justin Drennan is only bitching and moaning because he is losing sales on WantItAll through private, more affordable sales on social media platforms like WhatsApp. Hey Justin, if your prices for difficult to get international products weren't so ridiculously overpriced, people might actually use WantItAll. Personally, I have not even bothered to try and purchase products on WantItAll because the prices are TOTALLY outrageous and a complete rip off
Click to expand...

WantItAll is one of the more expensive platforms in South Africa.
 
Quixotic said:
Perfect for scammers
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Isn't that always the excuse you sound like a retail owner or someone who has interests in online retail. Buyers must start learning to do their own due diligence. We hear the same thing from bankers, governments, WEF, IMF, etc that cryptocurrency is a harbour for scammers, what a load of BS, Fiat currency is used more frequently for scams and fraud, and this excuse about WhatsApp and other platform being used to get better deals is along the same lines. These online retailers (TakeAlot, WantItAll, Amazon in South Africa are a disgrace, they only care about monopoly and profits over people's ability to afford good products.
 
G P said:
Isn't that always the excuse you sound like a retail owner or someone who has interests in online retail. Buyers must start learning to do their own due diligence. We hear the same thing from bankers, governments, WEF, IMF, etc that cryptocurrency is a harbour for scammers, what a load of BS, Fiat currency is used more frequently for scams and fraud, and this excuse about WhatsApp and other platform being used to get better deals is along the same lines. These online retailers (TakeAlot, WantItAll, Amazon in South Africa are a disgrace, they only care about monopoly and profits over people's ability to afford good products.
Click to expand...

Fake numbers, fake names, fake IDs, fake addresses, fake business, fake location, fake photos and fake bargains or some combination of these. Methods are clever and prey on the vulnerable. Sellers with no ethics and can never be traced. Prefer to handover my details and pay the extra than be scammed. At least some resemblance of checks in place.
 
Quixotic said:
Fake numbers, fake names, fake IDs, fake addresses, fake business, fake location, fake photos and fake bargains or some combination of these. Methods are clever and prey on the vulnerable. Sellers with no ethics and can never be traced. Prefer to handover my details and pay the extra than be scammed. At least some resemblance of checks in place.
Click to expand...

Pay cash at the brick and motar, on the corner.
 
G P said:
These online retailers (TakeAlot, WantItAll, Amazon in South Africa are a disgrace, they only care about monopoly and profits over people's ability to afford good products.
Click to expand...

Don't mean to be pedantic over semantics, but 3 companies are not a monopoly, 1 company is.

p.s. Then just vote with your wallet

p.p.s. Takealot makes a loss not a profit

p.p.p.s In fact their prices are so good they have driven brick and mortar stores like Game and Dionwired out of business
 
bixt said:
Don't mean to be pedantic over semantics, but 3 companies are not a monopoly, 1 company is.

p.s. Then just vote with your wallet

p.p.s. Takealot makes a loss not a profit

p.p.p.s In fact their prices are so good they have driven brick and mortar stores like Game and Dionwired out of business
Click to expand...
Takealot reports a losses not that it's making a loss. On prices I agree with you they are good, although the seller's are getting ripped
 
elf_lord_ZC5 said:
Don't worry - the sellers are still making money - when they start losing money ey, the will drop Takealot like a hot potato
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100%

As we saw, there is no such thing as loyalty of customers (and this case, seller platforms).

The best price wins always

Unless Temu decimates them first
 
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