South Africans target clothing and fashion items the most online, with takeaway food and groceries just behind. Other facts reveal how South Africans interpret convenience, personalization, and assistance when shopping online.
Online payment system PayPal surveys the shopping habits of South Africa and discloses key insights about consumer behavior when shopping online. The rest of the article provides details of PayPal’s survey.
PayPal Surveys South Africans’ Online Shopping Habits
Per general online shopping habits, one in every five South Africans reportedly make weekly online purchases while about 56% shop multiple times a month.
Clothes and fashion items led the charts on the most popular online searches, with food and groceries coming closely behind. However, with the rise of online grocery shopping options and takeout deliveries from large retail outlets, PayPal expects increased activities around the food and groceries category.
Changing Landscape
Otto Williams, a senior PayPal executive in the Middle East and Africa, offers further insights on the survey. According to Williams, online shopping in the region is experiencing a continuously changing landscape, despite its past significant involvement in retail sales.
This “changing landscape,” Williams says, is due to “advancements in AI, shifting economic conditions, and dynamic consumer expectations.” Furthermore, the executive remarks that these factors keep retail outlets on their toes to remain competitive and sustain growth.
How SA Shoppers Interpret Online Convenience, Personalization, and Assistance
Only 12.6% of shoppers dedicate time to online purchases, suggesting that most South African online shoppers multitask alongside everyday activities. However, most respondents reportedly shop during leisure hours.
Speaking about leisure, the survey discloses that most online shoppers in the country peruse online retail platforms while working remotely, watching TV, or from the comfort of their beds at the close of the day.
Customers who shop online during working hours are less likely to tolerate bulky and multi-step shopping interfaces, Williams explains. Consequently, competitor brands that can deliver swift search functionality and convenient shopping experiences are likely to see improved patronage.
Shoppers identifier swift search and filter options as the most important convenience index for them, followed by the ability to create wish lists and save interests for later usage. Additionally, respondents highlighted multiple payment options and guest check-out features as helpful shopping features.
Surprisingly, despite the growing popularity of AI chatbots as support channels, less than 33% of the respondents value the feature. However, most consumers appreciated AI assistance in tracking deliveries or assisting with “affordable” product searches.
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