For over a decade, ecommerce in South Africa has been gradually gaining traction. However, until recently, it has largely been the domain of pureplay digital retailers pushing the boundaries. The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers being forced to venture online to sell their wares, and that’s shaking things up.

Thokozani Dlamini, CEO, FNB Merchant Services, says the ecommerce space has been dominated for the past few years by those retailers selling goods or services that could be delivered digitally. He highlights travel and accommodation as key purchases, obviously prior to Covid-19 restrictions. The pandemic pushed the envelope for the local ecommerce market, he says, but not all major retailers were prepared for the sudden change.