eCommerce in SA is growing at an extremely fast rate, as South Africans are feeling more secure with online purchasing.
So says Nicola Warburton, marketing manager at Introstat, who points outs there is an increase in the number of South African-based online shops.
Introstat, an IT reseller and solutions provider, recently launched its new online store - Introstat Online.co.za.
"Buying online means there is no reason to fight your way through shopping centre parking lots and queues at check-out counters. Shopping online also means that you have the option to shop around to find the right product for you at the right price from the comfort of your home or office, any time of the day or night," she says.
Warburton notes online purchasing has been adopted much faster by the younger generations. As with older users, she says, there is still a level of insecurity around online payments.
However, she points out consumers are becoming more informed and better educated, and the demand for the "quick and easy" purchase that e-commerce offers is growing every day.
A recent study by Ipsos in SA shows a growing interest in online shopping. Out of SA's Internet users, 22% said they have made purchases online and 48% expect to do so in the future.
According to the research, the key drivers of online shopping are lower product costs - 88% of online shoppers say this is important; faster delivery (85%); flexible delivery options (82%); and safer ways to pay (75%).
Nonetheless, when asked about the barriers to online shopping, 67% of non-online shoppers said online security of payments is a reason for not shopping online.
Warburton concurs that security is still one of the biggest inhibitors of e-commerce growth in SA. "In our opinion, the biggest issue is still security. Customers and merchants are at risk, and it is important to ensure all possible security measures are in place."
Another factor which does inhibit growth is the rising cost of delivery, she adds. "With fuel costs rising regularly, the cost to serve increases, and online vendors need to compensate for that. The lack of a strong postal service, like those in the UK and US, means that couriers need to be engaged to facilitate delivery, and the cost of that has to be taken into account."
To boost e-commerce in the country, Warburton says businesses need to stay on top of online trends, and strive to always stay ahead.
"It is important for e-commerce stores to know what their customers want, and to make sure that they are providing this in the simplest and quickest way possible," she concludes.
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