According to the DHL e-commerce trends report for 2026, over half of online shoppers in Sub-Saharan African countries—56%, the highest figure among all regions globally—believe it is likely that within the next five years they will allow artificial intelligence to make purchasing decisions or complete purchases on their behalf. This figure nearly doubles the global average of 29% and significantly surpasses Europe, where only 18% of shoppers stated readiness to hand over control to AI.
AI Usage Research and Statistics
The report, published by DHL in June, is based on surveys of 29,000 online shoppers and 5,800 e-commerce businesses across 29 countries. South Africans are already among the most active users of AI in the purchasing process. The country ranks sixth globally in the use of AI-powered chat tools during online shopping, reaching 41%. Leaders in this ranking include India (59%), United Arab Emirates (51%), China (47%), Nigeria (46%), and Saudi Arabia (42%).
Management Opinion and Trust Issues
Pablo Cyano, CEO of DHL eCommerce, noted that the ability to understand and respond to customer needs has always defined success, but the new report shows that AI is now radically changing this advantage at a high speed. He emphasized that consumers can find the best deals in fractions of a second, while retailers gain analytics that allow them to react instantly to demand changes.
However, enthusiasm may outpace trust. As reported by TechCentral, Visa is preparing payment infrastructure using AI in South Africa, including registering local banks in its Agentic Ready program for fully autonomous transactions, but no such system has been launched in the country yet. Furthermore, the Visa Stay Secure 2026 study showed that only 23% of South African consumers trust an AI agent to complete a purchase for them.
Liability Questions and Local Market
Additionally, complex issues regarding payment authorizations remain unresolved: Visa executives stated that the consumer remains the original party responsible if an AI agent authorizes a fraudulent transaction, and liability is determined individually according to existing rules.
The DHL report also highlights the dominance of Takealot, owned by Naspers, in the local online retail market. This platform is the most used among South African buyers (88%) and among local online businesses (87%). Meanwhile, the platform is striving to maintain its position against Amazon and Temu from China, which opened a local distribution warehouse last year to speed up deliveries to South African customers.
Consumer Behavior and Social Commerce
South Africans also show high interest in Black Friday sales, with 68% reporting making purchases during Black Friday/Cyber Monday in the last year, the highest figure among the 29 surveyed markets and significantly above the global average of 41%. These data align with local statistics on record online spending during Black Friday last November. Social commerce is also prominent: 85% of surveyed South African shoppers purchased goods through Facebook, substantially exceeding the global average of 63%.
Unlike other regions where out-of-home delivery is becoming the norm (more than six out of ten returns occur outside the home), South Africa remains a market dominated by home delivery: 89% of local buyers primarily receive their online orders at home, and 61% use a home pickup point for returns.
Business International Ambitions
At the same time, South African e-commerce businesses are looking far beyond the country's borders. Of those who do not yet sell internationally, 83% plan to expand within the next five years, targeting markets such as the USA, China, France, and India. The report also classifies the South Africa-USA corridor as one of the busiest B2B trade routes globally.
Herman Winter, Managing Director of DHL Express South Africa, stated that South Africa is one of the most developed e-commerce markets in the region, possessing established platforms, growing digital adoption, and a business community that is increasingly moving beyond local growth. He added that fundamental aspects are more important for businesses than ever: trust, reliable delivery, convenient returns, and a strong customer experience are key to competing both locally and internationally.
He also noted that for small and medium-sized enterprises, digital commerce provides a real opportunity to reach new customers and markets, but long-term growth will depend on the ability to ensure stable delivery, manage cross-border complexity, and build customer confidence. The growth of the online retail sector in South Africa continues, and the research firm World Wide Worx predicts that by January 2026, online sales will exceed 10% of total retail turnover for the first time.
