2025 South African Online Retail Report

Get exclusive insights into the future of South African ecommerce landscape with the 2025 South Africa Online Retail Report, prepared by Arthur Goldstuck and sponsored by Peach Payments, Mastercard, and Ask Afrika.

The study is conducted in partnership with expertise from industry leaders, including:

Convenience is now the benchmark, Trust is the currency, and Payments are the bridge.

Online retail in South Africa is no longer an alternative - it’s a core part of the economy. The 2025 report shows how innovation, trust, and customer experience continue to drive growth, and why businesses that embrace digital-first strategies will lead the next wave of retail.

- Rahul Jain, CEO & Co-Founder, Peach Payments

ONLINE SALES IS 8% OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES |

Online Retail Set to Surpass R130 Billion in 2025

Let's dive deeper into the report

Online retail is now a structural force, poised to exceed sales of R130 billion by late 2025.

Local payments are king, with Instant EFT/PayShap showing meaningful traction at 40.8% usage

Consumer trust strongly favours local platforms, with 46% of consumers trusting them more than international ones

Checkout friction and shipping fees are the top reasons for cart abandonment, cited by 37.3% and 31.3% of retailers respectively

The industry is confident and profitable; 73.6% of retailers report positive returns, and 74.2% expect growth over 40% in 2025

WhatsApp is a key engagement tool, but payments lag as 38.8% of retailers cite integration issues as a key blocker

Digital-first marketing is maturing, with a notable surge in search engine marketing to 72.1%

There is a gap between the desire for security and adoption; 91% rate security as "very important," but only 2.5% use biometrics

Ask these FAQs to the AI Avatar and learn key insights about the report

Curious about what’s inside the report? Use these FAQs to guide your conversation with our AI Avatar, and uncover valuable insights and statistics from the 2025 South African Online Retail Report.

Ask the Avatar

Growth & Market Outlook 

How has the share of online retail versus total retail evolved from 2023 to 2025, and when will South Africa realistically hit the 10% mark?

Competitive Landscape 

Which retailers have shown the most consistent online growth across the three reports, and what lessons can smaller players take from their strategies?

Consumer Behaviour

What demographic shifts in online shoppers are most significant between 2023 and 2025, and how should retailers adapt their targeting?

Payments & Checkout 

What are the top reasons for cart abandonment over the past three years, and which solutions are proving most effective in reducing them?

Global Influence

How has the entry of Amazon.co.za and platforms like Shein/Temu impacted South African e-commerce since 2023?

Operational Challenges

What are the most persistent pain points for online retailers according to the three reports, and how are industry leaders overcoming them?

Technology & Innovation

Which technologies (AI, mobile wallets, BNPL, etc.) have shown the steepest adoption curve from 2023 to 2025, and what’s next?

Marketing & Customer Acquisition

Which marketing channels have gained the most traction among South African e-commerce businesses since 2023, and which ones are losing relevance?

Profitability & Performance

How has site profitability trended across the reports, and what differentiates the retailers that moved from breakeven to high profitability?

Future Forecasting

Based on the three years of data, what are the strongest signals for where South African e-commerce will be by 2030?

A Closing Message From Our CEO

Mute

Unmute

2025 South African Online Retail Report

Convenience is now the benchmark, Trust is the currency, and Payments are the bridge.

ONLINE SALES IS 8% OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES |

Online Retail Set to Surpass R130 Billion in 2025

Online Retail Set to Surpass R130 Billion in 2025

Let's dive deeper into the report

Online retail is now a structural force, poised to exceed sales of R130 billion by late 2025.

Local payments are king, with Instant EFT/PayShap showing meaningful traction at 40.8% usage

Consumer trust strongly favours local platforms, with 46% of consumers trusting them more than international ones

Checkout friction and shipping fees are the top reasons for cart abandonment, cited by 37.3% and 31.3% of retailers respectively

The industry is confident and profitable; 73.6% of retailers report positive returns, and 74.2% expect growth over 40% in 2025

WhatsApp is a key engagement tool, but payments lag as 38.8% of retailers cite integration issues as a key blocker

Digital-first marketing is maturing, with a notable surge in search engine marketing to 72.1%

There is a gap between the desire for security and adoption; 91% rate security as "very important," but only 2.5% use biometrics

Ask these FAQs to the AI Avatar and learn key insights about the report

Ask the Avatar

Growth & Market Outlook

Competitive Landscape

Consumer Behaviour

Payments & Checkout

Global Influence

Operational Challenges

Technology & Innovation

Marketing & Customer Acquisition

Profitability & Performance

Future Forecasting

A Closing Message From Our CEO

Welcome to the finale!

You found an egg!

You found an egg!

You found an egg!

2025 South African Online Retail Report

Convenience is now the benchmark, Trust is the currency, and Payments are the bridge.

ONLINE SALES IS 8% OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES |

Online Retail Set to Surpass R130 Billion in 2025

Online Retail Set to Surpass R130 Billion in 2025

Let's dive deeper into the report

Online retail is now a structural force, poised to exceed sales of R130 billion by late 2025.

Local payments are king, with Instant EFT/PayShap showing meaningful traction at 40.8% usage

Consumer trust strongly favours local platforms, with 46% of consumers trusting them more than international ones

Checkout friction and shipping fees are the top reasons for cart abandonment, cited by 37.3% and 31.3% of retailers respectively

The industry is confident and profitable; 73.6% of retailers report positive returns, and 74.2% expect growth over 40% in 2025

WhatsApp is a key engagement tool, but payments lag as 38.8% of retailers cite integration issues as a key blocker

Digital-first marketing is maturing, with a notable surge in search engine marketing to 72.1%

There is a gap between the desire for security and adoption; 91% rate security as "very important," but only 2.5% use biometrics

Ask these FAQs to the AI Avatar and learn key insights about the report

Ask the Avatar

Growth & Market Outlook

Competitive Landscape

Consumer Behaviour

Payments & Checkout

Global Influence

Operational Challenges

Technology & Innovation

Marketing & Customer Acquisition

Profitability & Performance

Future Forecasting

A Closing Message From Our CEO

What are you looking for?

Welcome to the finale!

You found an egg!

You found an egg!

You found an egg!

Growth & Market Outlook 

Competitive Landscape 

Payments & Checkout 