"E-commerce is having a huge impact on the way we do business. It can lead to dramatic growth in trade, increase markets, improve efficiency and effectiveness and can transform business processes."
The majority of South African online shoppers are satisfied with their overall online shopping experience and 51% who have access to the internet are shopping online, with 75% of those having done so in the past three months.
While the number of South Africans accessing the internet to shop online was up 9% from the previous survey, the number of those who made purchases in the past three months decreased by a marginal 2% from 77% a year ago, the survey said.
According to the survey, 73% of active online shoppers intend to make an online purchase in the next six months.
"South Africans who shop online also feel that making purchases on the internet is more convenient, user-friendly and easier than walking into a store or ordering from a catalogue or via a call centre,"
Interestingly, more people were making use of broadband access technologies, with ADSL usage increasing from 55% to 60%,
The study also showed that South African online shoppers preferred to plan and research their online purchases in advance, with fewer people making impulse purchases online -- the number of online impulse shoppers dropped substantially from 22% to just 8%.
"Online shopping has come a long way in SA. Access to the internet is becoming easier and more cost-effective, the overall online shopping experience is viewed positively and people are gaining trust in online security,"
