A new gold rush has seized South Africa, as retailers and manufacturers scramble to sell to township customers. Startups offering delivery services are piling in. But like all gold rushes, not all are going to make it. The boom has been fuelled by the recent growth in ecommerce, with the number of township residents who say they shop online rising to 40% in 2024, from 30% in 2022, according to a survey of 1 600 township residents by Rogerwilco, a digital marketing agency.

This is still half the national ecommerce penetration rate of 80%, but given that townships are home to more than 11 million people, with a market estimated at R900bn in revenue, 40% is no small number.