Despite a forecast predicting that the South African online retail market will reach 159 billion rand in 2026, most adults in the country still do not make purchases online. The report 'Online Retail in South Africa 2026,' prepared by World Wide Worx in collaboration with Mastercard, Peach Payments, and Ask Afrika, forecasts an annual growth of approximately 22.5%, with online sales expected to account for 10% of total retail turnover throughout the year.
However, consumer research underpinning this report, based on 23,910 surveys conducted in 2025, showed that 79.1% of adults in South Africa use the internet, but only 34.2% make online purchases. Ahead of Black Friday, the digital innovation agency and product consulting firm Specno warns that retailers may compete for the same customers while ignoring the barriers preventing millions of others from making their first purchase.
Joshua Harvey, CEO of Specno, believes this gap must change retailers' approach before November begins. He notes: 'The growing online market may hide how many people are still outside of it.' In his view, sellers should ask themselves whether they are making it easier for anyone to make a first online purchase, or simply offering more discounts to those who already know how to use the function.
The report identified several obstacles to wider participation, including delivery costs, minimum order requirements, unreliable delivery outside major urban centers, payment issues, data costs, and limited support in local languages.
Harvey emphasizes that a new buyer should not have to reach the final screen to find out if delivery is available in their area or what the cost is. Furthermore, if a payment fails, they need a clear answer: whether the transaction went through, if funds were debited, and what to do next. This moment can determine whether the customer trusts and continues the interaction or tries again.
Practical improvements include proactive checking of delivery availability, displaying costs before checkout, explaining payment steps in simple language, and ensuring easy access to help. Where possible, a guest checkout feature can eliminate the need to create an account, which often deters new buyers.
Harvey advises that if retailers aim to make their online sales accessible to millions of new customers across the country, they should test their purchasing journey on basic smartphones using mobile data and intermittent connections before considering increasing spending on campaigns for existing online shoppers. This involves checking whether large images slow down loading, whether promotional pop-ups obscure important information, how complex the forms are to fill out, and whether a connection drop forces the process to start over.
The consulting firm also recommends saving cart contents upon connection loss and providing a reliable way to check order status before retrying payment. Retailers should also analyze at which stage customers abandon the process on different devices and under various connection conditions, and then find out the reasons from users.
The study also questions the assumption that an app should be a priority for every retailer: in 42 out of 48 studied categories, browsers were used more than apps for shopping. Harvey asserts: 'Investments must follow the frequency and nature of customer needs. An app can provide significant convenience to someone who shops regularly, whereas a casual buyer may just need a fast mobile website.'
Harvey believes that Black Friday's effectiveness should also be assessed after the advertising traffic subsides. Accurate delivery promises, useful tracking, accessible support, and clear return procedures determine whether a new buyer returns. Retailers should track how many new customers successfully complete their orders, what support they required, and whether they will make repeat purchases in subsequent months. These metrics can show whether acquisition costs are creating long-term customer relationships.
He concludes: 'Black Friday can attract attention and secure the first sale. The experience that follows determines whether you have earned the customer.' If a package is delayed, tracking is useless and no one answers the query; the discount becomes the least memorable part of the purchase.
For South African retailers, expanding online participation starts with understanding the people whom current purchasing processes do not serve: 'Your next customer may already be online, already know your brand, and already want what you sell. The opportunity lies in removing what prevents them from buying and giving them a reason to return when the discount ends.'
