Andy Higgins on the outlook for online shopping in South Africa

Andy Higgins, founder of e-commerce solutions company Bob Group, knows more about e-commerce in South Africa than most people. Higgins founded Bidorbuy (now Bob Shop) at the height of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, and over the past 25 years has actively participated in the industry as it has mushroomed from those nascent beginnings. In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), Higgins has a look back at the growth of the industry, and what’s likely to propel its future expansion. In the show, Higgins unpacks: • How Bob Group has done since it was created nearly two years ago through the merger of Bidorbuy and uAfrica, and what the future holds for the business; • What is driving the rapid growth in South Africa’s e-commerce industry – did Covid lockdowns give it the spark for its current rapid expansion, or is there more at play?; • The rise of on-demand deliveries in South Africa and what it means for online retailers; • The rise of Chinese competitors – how much of a threat are Shein and Temu really, and is the South African Revenue Service right to crack down?; • The Competition Commission’s intervention in the market and whether it is warranted; • Whether Amazon’s South African launch was a flop; and • What trends to look out for as the market develops further in the coming years. Don’t miss a fascinating discussion!