Amazon has the “successful formula” for online shopping in South Africa

Amazon’s managing director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Robert Koen, says the key to the e-commerce giant’s success in South Africa will be its focus on customers rather than the competition.

Speaking to Business Day, Koen added that its well-established last-mile partners, network of 3,000 pickup points, and delivery promises will prove important for South African customers.

“We definitely don’t focus on what our competitors are doing. We’ve found that a successful formula is if we really obsess about our customers,” he said.

“They want great products, great prices, and real convenience when shopping online. If we just focus on that and listen really carefully to what’s working and maybe what’s not working, we can tweak the experience.”

“That’s where our focus will be, on the customer, not on the competitor,” Koen added.

He explained that Amazon’s up-front delivery expectations are also something the company believes is important for South African customers.

Koen said that, like with Amazon’s other marketplaces, customers will see the expected delivery date before they add the product to their cart.

“That’s super important, is what we’re hearing, for South Africans because you’ve got to be home to receive your delivery,” he said.

“It’s great to know when something’s going to be delivered to you so that you can work around it.”

Regarding the challenge of next-day deliveries in South Africa, Koen said Amazon has partnered with two third parties to cover last-mile logistics in the country.

“They’re two companies with a great reputation and really understand what it takes to be successful across South Africa,” he said. “DPD Laser and The Courier Guy are the two delivery partners we’re working with.”

Regarding customer support, Koen said Amazon’s network of local support agents operates from 06:00 until midnight each day, speaks various local languages, and understands the nuances of South Africa.

“We’ve got live agents ready to take those calls. We’re operating 24/7 and from 06:00 until midnight with telephone operators,” he said.

Koen said making a broad range of products and brands available to South African shoppers is critical.

To this end, he listed several popular brands the South African marketplace will carry, including Apple, Samsung, L’Oreal, and Lego.

“Amazon South Africa will carry many smaller brands as well, including local sellers offering their products in some cases for the first time,” he said.

“The final piece to the pillar is being able to know that you’re going to get great value for money in terms of the pricing you’ll see.”

Amazon’s South African marketplace went live on Tuesday, 7 May 2024, offering shoppers free delivery on their first purchase from the platform.

Orders through Amazon above R500 also enjoy free delivery.

Amazon.co.za promises hassle-free returns within 30 days. Customers returning items can choose from several pickup options, including from their home or self-drop.

Following its launch, MyBroadband tested Amazon’s same-day delivery service, with positive results.

We ordered a R299 pair of Amplify wireless earbuds and paid R95 for same-day delivery, confirming our order at 08:00 on Tuesday,

Amazon quickly assigned a The Courier Guy Tracking number, and the package was collected from its warehouse around midday.

Our order arrived at 15:53 on Tuesday in an Amazon.co.za branded box.