According to a recent study, South Africa is experiencing a boom in eCommerce and online shopping. South African consumers spent over R2,000,000,000 online in 2010 and this figure is estimated to grow by 40% towards the end of 2011.
eCommerce in South Africa has been described as entering into a phase of sustained acceleration with exponential growth that shows no sign of slowing down. One of the reasons for the current eCommerce boom is the increased number of South Africans that are connected to the internet. South Africa currently has over 5 million fixed line internet users a figure that is expected to double in the next five years.
The next five years will be an important period for eCommerce in South Africa as research has shown that it takes the average internet user 5 years to be become comfortable with buying online.
At FGX, we believe that this period will dramatically decrease as big pushes from some of South Africa's largest retailers, online stores and daily deal sites help make shopping online more of a day-to-day occurrence for the average South African.
It's clearly the right time for almost any business to consider embarking on a strategy to enter the world of eCommerce. You might want to know how.
Last year, FGX Studios developed a unique eCommerce solution for SA Duty Free (Airports Company South Africa). We spec'ed, designed and built the SA Duty Free website and implemented an online retail solution that was specially designed to meet the needs of a niche market of local and international travelers flying in and out of South Africa.
Travelers can conveniently browse, order and pay for a wide range of luxury products, fragrances and electronics at duty free prices online and collect on their trip. To accommodate users who might be new to the world of online shopping, we introduced the "Select & Collect" option, whereby travelers are able to take advantage of the convenience factor of placing their order online, but they only pay for it when collecting their ready-packed order at the express till in Duty Free Mall.
Awareness of South Africa Duty Free and their online retail offerings was established and in the second quarter of 2011, an online engagement and CRM strategy via social channels and digital communications was launched, featuring content relating to lifestyle, travel and shopping.
"Since launching, sales and engagement levels continue to sharply rise month-on-month. After take-off, the project is flying high and we are excited about where it is heading to," says Wynand van Niekerk, Head of Business Development, FGX Studios.
Throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa, telecommunication and IT, are booming, the investors should open his eye to these sectors
