The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across global economies and has shaken several industries, including aviation and hospitality, to their respective cores.

But, in South Africa at least, the pandemic has actually catapulted digitally-enabled commerce ahead, even if the Minister of Trade and Industry initially held back its reopening. Today, online retailers speak of significant jumps in total payment volumes, but the question remains: is this an exciting but temporary shift, or have we officially arrived at the future of formal commercial trade?