/ 24 January 2012

Surge in online shopping as SA gets to grips with the e-conomy

South Africans are becoming more open to the option of online shopping, with a survey reporting a 30% increase in online spending in 2010.

Online shopping is the way of the future, according to a survey conducted by PayU, a South African online and mobile payment service provider.

The results of the survey, which appeared on News24, support findings from a World Wide Worx research report claiming a 30% increase in online spending in 2010 relative to the previous year.

“Research indicates that consumers are beginning to recognise the benefits of online shopping, and the more popular it becomes, the greater the opportunity for South African businesses to reap the economic benefits of reaching new customers online,” said Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU MEA.

The survey, conducted in November last year, revealed that 75% of the respondents actively participated in and recognised the important role that e-commerce would play in shaping South Africa’s future economy, and in the three months leading up to the festive season, 85% of the respondents claimed to have shopped online.

Furthermore, the online survey revealed that 77% of respondents felt that a payment gateway service provider added credibility to a website.

South African retailer Pick n Pay is a long-time PayU SafeShop customer.

“Through our partnership with PayU SafeShop we are able to give our customers what they have asked us for, a safe and secure way of paying for their Pick n Pay online shopping,” said Mike Cotterell, general manager of online shopping at Pick n Pay.

In addition to Pick n Pay, PayU Payment Solutions, which is a division of multi-national media giant Naspers (NPN), also processes online payments for Kalahari.com, NetFlorist and four major airlines. — I-Net Bridge