Why chat commerce will surpass e-commerce in South Africa

In South Africa’s fast-evolving digital landscape one trend is emerging that is likely to leapfrog traditional e‑commerce, namely chat commerce.

E‑commerce platforms and mobile apps come with barriers, including data-heavy platforms, complex user experiences and costly operations.

WhatsApp, on the other hand, is used by over 96% of internet users in South Africa (Statista), making it the most ubiquitous and familiar channel available today. This presents a huge opportunity to bring commerce directly into everyday conversations.

Chat commerce, in my opinion, is poised to overtake traditional e‑commerce in the next few years for a number of reasons.

First, South Africa is a mobile-first nation. Not everyone has access to high-speed broadband, but nearly everyone has WhatsApp. Chat commerce lowers the barrier to entry, especially for underserved or rural communities.

Imagine browsing for a product, checking your available credit, redeeming a personalised offer and finalising a purchase — all in the same WhatsApp chat. That’s not the future; it’s happening now.

At homechoice, chat commerce (powered by Infobip) is not just a support channel; it's a full sales and customer experience engine.

Second, where traditional e‑commerce requires heavy infrastructure, chat commerce thrives with leaner teams, automation and 24/7 bots. This makes it especially attractive for SMEs and emerging brands looking for scale without the complexity.

Clickatell maintains that chat commerce represents the “third wave” of digital commerce after websites and apps.

The third reason is that chat platforms outperform traditional e‑commerce in open rates, click-throughs and conversion. Why? Because the interaction is personal, real-time and contextual. It’s commerce inside the conversation, not around it.

With the rise of headless commerce, embedded payments and smart AI agents, the entire customer experience stack can now live within messaging platforms. Customers don’t need to navigate a separate app or website; they’re buying where they’re already engaging.

Even Africa’s “super apps”, like Ayoba, are investing in embedded commerce ecosystems, underlining the strategic direction of mobile retail.

As South African businesses, we need to reframe how we think about e‑commerce. It’s not about a store on a website any more — it’s about making every conversation a store front.

Chat commerce offers a way to meet customers where they are, reduce friction, improve service and increase conversion, all while future-proofing businesses.

Richard Eberlein is the managing executive: customer & growth at homechoice.

 The big take-out: Chat commerce offers a way to meet customers where they are, reduce friction, improve service and increase conversion, all while future-proofing businesses.

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