Key Findings
- 1Amazon.co.za launched in May 2024. GfK and SimilarWeb data show what the duopoly did to prices, delivery times, and third-party seller economics.
Overview
Amazon.co.za launched 7 May 2024. 18 months in, GfK's SA e-commerce panel and SimilarWeb traffic data show a real — but narrower-than-expected — competitive shift.
"Average selling price on directly comparable SKUs fell 6."
Top-quartile monetisers convert at 5x the industry average while spending 40% less on customer acquisition.
Product-led growth models are rewriting the commercialisation playbook for African tech.
Why this matters now
Takealot's market share of formal online GMV declined from 63% pre-launch to 51% by Q1 2026 (GfK SA E-commerce Panel, Feb 2026). Amazon captured 22%. Independents and marketplace-adjacent players (Bash, Superbalist, Makro Online) hold the remainder.
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