Don`t let the name fool you. This is not a desert as far as products are concerned, even though the software and maps sections have not gone live yet. The site boasts an impressive listing of books and CDs, and it is well on its way to a decent inventory of DVDs.
And there is no problem with the functionality or navigation. Nothing is perfect, and I would love to know if there has ever been a CD in the popular music/miscellaneous/business help section. But it is simple enough to find what you are after by following the categories. In fact, it is considerably easier to navigate than Amazon, simply because there are fewer obscure titles that need their own sections.
The problem is with the search engine, which doesn`t work. It doesn`t return the wrong results, and it doesn`t take forever to search the database, it simply doesn`t work at all. It seems incapable of returning anything but "no documents matching your query were found", which becomes really irritating after half and hour or so.
Its impotency is easily confirmed by doing a search for an author or title actually listed on the front page. Not to put too fine a point on it, this search engine wouldn`t be able to find certain parts of its anatomy with both hands and a mirror. This is a real problem if you didn`t know that Enya is considered a folk-rock artist.
If that is ever fixed, however, the site will be a real pleasure as far as shopping goes. Listing prices in both dollars and rand is a nice touch, and says a lot about its owners` confidence regarding their pricing.
So Kalahari must be cheaper than Amazon, right? Think again. A randomly chosen CD is listed as $16.07 at Kalahari, while Amazon prices it at $12.99. Even adding international shipping costs, it will still be cheaper to buy it in the jungle.
So why go to Kalahari? There is its "seil in Afrikaans" (navigate in Afrikaans) option, which is pretty nice if you like to be really confused, although, to be fair, the translation isn`t too bad. The only unique feature the site has is its wealth of South African products, difficult to find internationally.
If you are looking for the latest from Christoffel Coetzee this is the place to go.
All the cross-referencing that makes Amazon so popular is there, and that is a huge benefit no brick-and-mortar shop can offer. Just be careful of the pitfalls that come as part of the package - if you don`t un-tick the "I want to receive e-mail" box when registering don`t be surprised to receive spam.
Tropical plants don`t cope well with the South African climate, but Kalahari is probably as good as it gets.
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