This is not a drill! It’s happening!
Amazon announces the launch of Amazon.co.za in South Africa in 2024
Starting October 17, 2023, independent sellers in South Africa can register their businesses on Sell with Amazon South Africa today.
3 Likes
This should be interesting considering takealot hasn’t really made a profit yet.
1 Like
I really, really, really hope we get access to the same products as the US and UK marketplaces. They always have stuff like switch accessories or physical games that we don’t get locally.
2 Likes
With all the changes being enforced on Takealot, I wonder if the same rules will apply to Amazon and if Takealot would be able to survive.
1 Like
hard agree, the amount of stuff you can get on amazon in US and UK is insane, would be great to have those items here.
1 Like
WHAT? That seems absurd!
1 Like
Sounds like Takealot better register to sell on Amazon then! 
3 Likes
Amazon is an online store front, that makes money off of local to the region sellers. This is just another online shop. It doesn’t necessarily bring the same sellers you see on US and European regions to SA. They’re completely separate financial entities, so it’s not like you can order through one, and they magically speak to the other “branch” and you get that benefit. Am I missing something?
The US already owns so much of SA’s retail. This will give them yet another bunch of curlies to tug on, when someone high up, wants a december bonus.
4 Likes
Yup, very true.
However, I would hope they will at least stock the “Amazon Basics” type stuff locally at a fair price. Not that I’m a big fan of how Amazon rips off ideas from start-ups/kickstarters and produces a lower cost version…
1 Like
Spot on. The flood of resellers flogging cheap Chinese goods like a hoard of second-hand Alibaba snake-oil salesmen isn’t going to be slowed by this. In fact, the opposite is more likely.
But, I’m just happy that Takealot will eventually have some competition on the “one stop online shop” front. And if Amazon efficiencies can help to gee up the performance, pricing, and potential deals of other more specialised vendors, double bonus.
1 Like
Anyone test it out yet?
Doesn’t seem like they have much yet, however, you know its south african when it has an entire catagory for loadshedding, and braai. XD
Also see the product reviews show reviews from other countries as well
2 Likes
The one thing I’m looking for, they don’t have. Will have to order from Amazon US.
As far as the shop is concerned, unless eBucks move over to them, I’m unlikely to switch away from Takealot.
2 Likes
Took a look for some of the stuff on my wishlists, and I’m pretty underwhelmed. As expected, it seems to be mostly stuff available locally elsewhere.
1 Like
Getting the feeling that this is a soft opening, trail period, and that the store is still being populated. Spent a bit of time on the site today, and there seems to be a lot more listings today than yesterday.
Even since earlier today - when we looked a phone cases this morning (specifically for delivery tomorrow) there were only 9 options showing. Now there’s 33. Many (most?) of them do still either have very limited stock or show as “temporarily out of stock”, but it does seem to be filling up. The “Today’s Deals” are still seriously lacking though.
Daughter needs a new cover for her phone and she found one that she likes, so ordered that plus a random flash drive for the missus. Both should arrive by tomorrow. Will report back then.
1 Like
It’s all good.
After placing the order, there’s an option to have order status and delivery info sent via WhatsApp, which worked perfectly. Got immediate email confirmation and an invoice as expected too.
Received WhatsApp message last night saying the order had been shipped, and then SMS from Courier Guy early this morning confirming that my “Amazon package is out for delivery” with a PIN code.
Delivery arrived about an hour ago I’m told. Was in an appropriately sized padded envelope and all is good in the world.
4 Likes
While successful next day delivery is good and all, and of course it’s the first test, you and I both know that the true test of Amazon will be how well they handle returns. We need someone to order something broken. 
2 Likes
Out of curiosity, what was the thing, and is it on there now? Two weeks later and the store is a lot more populated now than it was.
The day I ordered that phone case I also searched for a cat collar - got five results. Now there’s over 80.
Admittedly a good amount of the listings are clearly from useless, dodgy, drop-shipping “vendors” who assume Saffer online shoppers are idiots.
Sure I’m going to order a random cat collar from Amazon that’s going to take a month to arrive, all for a bargain price of R1043,96. Dumbasses.
2 Likes
Admittedly, this is true, but not exclusive to Saffers.
2 Likes