Amazon has announced plans to expand into South Africa next year.

The company said on Tuesday that local sellers can register their business with Amazon ahead of the launch of Amazon.co.za in 2024.

The company claimed that more than 60 per cent of its sales are from independent sellers, and that it offers “a range of valuable tools, programs and services to empower sellers and foster their business growth”.

Commenting on the news, Robert Koen, general manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa region for Amazon, said: “We look forward to launching Amazon.co.za in South Africa, providing local sellers, brand owners, and entrepreneurs – small and large – the opportunity to grow their business with Amazon, and delivering great value and a convenient shopping experience for customers across South Africa.”

South Africa had historically been an outlier, with ecommerce failing to take a hold of the country until the Covid-19 pandemic brought an opportunity for the sector to meaningfully contribute to sales figures.

The South African ecommerce sector is dominated by Nasper-owned Takealot, which has spent the past year undertaking aggressive growth strategies in preparation for Amazon’s anticipated expansion into the country.

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