An effective online retail strategy will allow SA to catch up with big guns
A strategy must be put in place to ensure that this opportunity is not lost out to international giants
The rise of online retail internationally has raised an apocalyptic spectre of empty malls, dying city centres, local factory closures and rising unemployment. It also evokes images of a de-personalised landscape in which electronic orders are processed at automated warehouses and boxes of goods on conveyor belts in China are shipped directly to mailboxes around the world. This, while the international tech giants that facilitate transactions, profit without paying income tax. But the reality is that while e-commerce is changing the face of retail internationally, it has the potential to enhance consumer experiences and create organic opportunities if we correctly harness it. Appropriate policies for the digitalisation of business are urgently required to make sure the playing field is level and to ensure technological changes open up markets to entrepreneurs. At present, online retail in SA is small, making up a mere 1% of total retail, while the most developed online markets such ...
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