Vodacom South Africa has partnered with Amazon South Africa to offer customers expanded benefits through Amazon Prime, an all-in-one membership programme.

Pick n Pay asap has launched Penny, South Africa’s first fully integrated AI-powered grocery shopping companion, transforming the way customers shop for groceries through natural conversations.

The launch of Amazon Prime brings a secret sauce to online retail in South Africa, local MD Robert Koen and global VP Jamil Ghani tell Arthur Goldstuck.

South Africa’s online retail market is becoming increasingly global, with consumers buying more products directly from international marketplaces than ever before.

AI has introduced new sources of disruption along with new opportunities for advantage in the consumer industry.

Online shopping and lifestyle changes have fuelled South Africa’s changing shopping habits, and shopping malls are reimagining their purpose to keep customers coming through its doors.

AI pricing tools are widely feared to fuel price fixing, but new Wharton research shows they can cut costs and lower prices in many cases.

According to Euromonitor International, AI-influenced ecommerce is forecast to exceed US$700bn by 2029, underscoring the role of intelligent loyalty systems in retail.

South Africa’s online retail market is on track to exceed R150 billion and account for 12% of total retail turnover by 2027.

One in four retail technology providers believe artificial intelligence (AI) is overhyped or actively adding to confusion, according to new research from retail and hospitality technology PR agency ASPR.