eCommerce in South Africa: 2026 Statistics, Growth and Trends
Updated October 2026
eCommerce in South Africa is now a R130-billion market and is forecast to reach about R159 billion in 2026. That is roughly 10% of all retail sales in the country, up from less than 1% a decade ago. These figures come from the Online Retail in South Africa 2026 report by World Wide Worx, produced with Mastercard, Peach Payments and Ask Afrika. Growth is slowing from the 35% a year seen in 2024 and 2025, but online shopping is still growing about five times faster than retail as a whole.
This guide covers the latest South African eCommerce statistics, who shops online, what they buy, the biggest platforms, how people pay and receive their parcels, and what it all means if you sell online or plan to.
South African eCommerce statistics at a glance
| Measure | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| Online retail sales, 2025 | About R130 billion |
| Online retail sales, 2026 (forecast) | About R159 billion |
| Online growth, 2026 (forecast) | 22.5% |
| Overall retail growth, first five months of 2026 | About 4% |
| Online share of total retail, 2026 | About 10% (nominal terms) |
| Adults with internet access | 79.1% |
| Adults who shop online | 34.2% |
| Online shoppers who buy mainly on a smartphone | 57.9% |
| Cross-border share of online orders, 2025 | 18.6% |
How fast is eCommerce growing in South Africa?
Online retail has grown by 20% to 35% a year for most of the past two decades, with a sharp spike during the 2020 lockdowns. The market has more than quintupled since 2020.
| Year | Online retail sales | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | R30.2 billion | Pandemic spike |
| 2022 | About R55 billion | |
| 2023 | About R71 billion | 29.1% |
| 2024 | About R96 billion | 35.2% |
| 2025 | About R130 billion | 35.4% |
| 2026 (forecast) | About R159 billion | 22.5% |
2022 to 2024 values are rounded estimates based on the growth rates reported by World Wide Worx.
The forecast of 22.5% for 2026 would be the slowest growth in six years, partly because cross-border shopping has slowed since import duty rules changed. In rand terms, though, the market is still expected to add about R29 billion in a single year.
What share of retail is online?
How you measure it changes the number. Compared with Stats SA retail sales at current prices, online made up about 8.5% of retail in 2025 and is expected to reach 10% in 2026. Using constant prices, the share is already higher, at about 12.8% in 2026. Either way, one in every ten rand spent on retail in South Africa is now spent online.
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Who shops online in South Africa?
Internet access is high, but fewer people buy online than you might expect. While 79.1% of adults are connected, only 34.2% shopped online in 2025, slightly down from 36.6% in 2024. The people who do shop online are spending more, though. The share of online shoppers spending over R2,000 in six months rose from 23.4% to 29%.
World Wide Worx calls this a "conversion gap" rather than a lack of demand. Key patterns include:
- Age: 25 to 34-year-olds are the most active group, with 39.5% shopping online
- Income: more than 60% of people in households earning R40,000 or more a month shop online
- Location: Gauteng leads at 46.9%, with Pretoria at 51.2% and Johannesburg at 46.2%
- Gender: 36.9% of men shop online compared with 31.7% of women, despite women having slightly higher internet access
- Devices: 57.9% of online shoppers use a smartphone and 26% use a laptop. Mobile browsers beat apps for purchases in 42 of 48 product categories.
What do South Africans buy online and why?
Clothing is the most popular category, bought by 36% of online shoppers, followed by groceries at 21.2%. Fast grocery delivery services such as Checkers Sixty60, Woolies Dash and Pick n Pay asap! have made groceries one of the fastest-growing categories.
Convenience is the main reason people shop online (22.8%), ahead of saving money (16.4%) and finding lower prices (15.7%). For sellers, that means fast delivery, easy checkout and clear information often matter as much as price.
The biggest online shopping platforms in South Africa
| Platform | Share of online shoppers who use it | Latest news |
|---|---|---|
| Takealot | 35.3% | First full-year trading profit, with adjusted EBIT of R171 million |
| Shein | 21.5% | Growth slowed to about 11% after import duty changes |
| Checkers Sixty60 | 15% | Sales of R25.5 billion in the year to June 2026, up 34.5% |
| Amazon.co.za | 12.7% | Launched Prime locally in June 2026 at R59 a month |
Other notable players include TFG (online sales up 49.2%), Pick n Pay (online turnover up 32.7% and profitable for a second year) and Woolies Dash (up 19.6%). Local marketplaces remain the main way most South Africans shop online, and they are an important sales channel for independent sellers. Read our complete guide to selling on Takealot or our guide to selling on Amazon South Africa.
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How South Africans pay online
Cards remain the backbone of online payments, but shoppers increasingly expect choice. Among the 201 online retailers surveyed, payment options offered were:
| Payment method | Retailers offering it |
|---|---|
| Debit card | 99% |
| Credit card | 98.5% |
| EFT or bank transfer | 89.1% |
| Buy now, pay later | 54.7% |
| Digital wallets | 36.8% |
| QR payments | 27.9% |
| PayShap | 6.5% |
Buy now, pay later works best for purchases between roughly R800 and R8,000, and digital wallet use grew by more than 35% in a year. If you are choosing how to take payments, see our guide to the best payment gateway for Shopify in South Africa.
Delivery and couriers
The Courier Guy is used by 64.7% of online retailers, far ahead of RAM (13.9%) and Fastway (13.4%). Aramex, DPD Laser, Pargo and DSV are each used by fewer than 8%. Collection points are also growing quickly as retailers look for cheaper ways to deliver. More than 55% of Mr Price's online orders, for example, are collected in store.
Delivery fees remain one of the biggest barriers to buying online, especially outside the major cities. To compare your options, read how to choose a courier for your online store and our guide to PUDO locker prices.
Cross-border shopping has slowed
In November 2024, SARS removed the duty concession on low-value imported parcels. Since then, cross-border eCommerce growth has dropped from 30% to 50% a year to about 7%. Cross-border orders still made up 18.6% of South African online transactions in 2025, roughly 19 million orders. Trust in international platforms also fell from 10% to 4%, while trust in local platforms held steady at 46.6%. This gives local sellers a real advantage.
The biggest challenges for online sellers
The report surveyed retailers on why shoppers abandon their carts. Card declines became the top cause in 2025, more than doubling in a year.
| Reason for cart abandonment | Retailers reporting it |
|---|---|
| Card declined | 61.2% (up from 27.9%) |
| Shipping fees | 51.7% |
| Having to create an account | 43.8% |
| Checkout too long or complicated | 40.3% |
| Website or checkout errors | 31.3% |
Trust is the other big hurdle. Only 17.6% of South Africans strongly agree that buying online is secure, and fear of financial information being stolen is the most persistent barrier. Clear returns policies, reviews, recognisable payment options and fast replies to customer questions all help. See our 8 ways to build customer trust on an eCommerce website.
Selling online already?
The numbers show that South African shoppers are spending more, but many stores lose them at checkout. Our free training shows you how to improve your conversion rate and turn more of your existing visitors into buyers.
What this means for South African online sellers
- There is still plenty of room to grow. With only about a third of adults shopping online and 79% connected, millions of South Africans are yet to make their first online purchase.
- Existing shoppers are spending more. Repeat customers, email marketing and loyalty matter more than ever. See how to build an email list for your online store.
- Mobile comes first. Most shoppers buy on their phones, so test your store on a phone before anything else.
- Checkout and payments win or lose sales. Offer several payment methods, allow guest checkout and show delivery costs early.
- Local is an advantage. Slower cross-border growth and higher trust in local platforms favour South African sellers with fast local delivery.
- Use more than one channel. Many successful sellers combine their own store with Takealot or Amazon. Our guide to choosing an eCommerce platform in South Africa can help you decide.
If you are just getting started, read the complete guide to starting an online business in South Africa.
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Frequently asked questions
How big is eCommerce in South Africa?
South African online retail was worth about R130 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach about R159 billion in 2026, according to World Wide Worx.
What percentage of retail is online in South Africa?
About 10% in 2026, measured against Stats SA retail sales. Using constant prices, the figure is about 12.8%.
Is eCommerce still growing in South Africa?
Yes. Growth is forecast at 22.5% in 2026, down from about 35% in 2024 and 2025, but still well above overall retail growth of about 4%.
How many South Africans shop online?
About 34.2% of adults shopped online in 2025. Internet access is much higher, at 79.1% of adults.
What is the most popular online store in South Africa?
Takealot is the most used, with 35.3% of online shoppers using it, followed by Shein (21.5%), Checkers Sixty60 (15%) and Amazon (12.7%).
What do South Africans buy most online?
Clothing is the top category, bought by 36% of online shoppers, followed by groceries at 21.2%.
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Source: World Wide Worx, Online Retail in South Africa 2026 (September 2026), based on retailer disclosures, Stats SA data, a survey of 201 online retailers and 23,910 consumer interviews by Ask Afrika. Written by the Insaka team. Insaka eCommerce Academy helps South African online sellers grow on Shopify, WooCommerce, Takealot and Amazon.
