South Africa E-commerce Market
Explore 65.9k verified e-commerce stores in the South Africa. Compare platforms, categories, PSP/carrier signals, available contacts, and merchant-size segments.
Scanned from 300M+ domains. 156.5k with e-commerce signals. 65.9k verified as active stores.
This is a public report preview. Use the catalog, exports or API for account lists. Fields depend on your plan; coverage varies by merchant.
E-commerce Platforms Distribution
WooCommerce stores with 47.6% of stores with physical delivery (31,405 stores) , followed by Shopify (29.5%) and Custom (12.6%) .
Base: 65,941 active verified stores, including those without a detected platform. Rankings show leading platform combinations; displayed percentages need not sum to 100%. Digital products, services, and non-transactional sites are excluded. All stores are verified by our proprietary AI model to ensure accurate e-commerce classification.
Top 10 Platforms (Physical Delivery)
31,405 stores
19,433 stores
8,285 stores
2,261 stores
685 stores
649 stores
353 stores
309 stores
299 stores
245 stores
Visual Distribution
31,405 stores
19,433 stores
8,285 stores
2,261 stores
685 stores
649 stores
353 stores
309 stores
299 stores
245 stores
| Platform | Stores with Physical Delivery | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | 31405 | 47.63% |
| Shopify | 19433 | 29.47% |
| Custom | 8285 | 12.56% |
| Wix eCommerce | 2261 | 3.43% |
| OpenCart | 685 | 1.04% |
| Squarespace Commerce | 649 | 0.98% |
| Ecwid | 353 | 0.54% |
| Magento | 309 | 0.47% |
| PrestaShop | 299 | 0.45% |
| JouwWeb | 245 | 0.37% |
Show broader dataset (all e-commerce signals)
Websites with E-commerce Signals
WooCommerce holds 55.7% share of detected South Africa e-commerce signals (87,224) , with Shopify at 17.3% and Custom at 6.6% (October 2026) .
Base: 156,486 domains in this report's signal population, including domains without a detected platform. This is not a store count: it can include redirects and non-transactional sites. Displayed percentages need not sum to 100%.
Top 10 Platforms (All Signals)
87,224 websites
27,032 websites
10,265 websites
12,789 websites
1,159 websites
7,516 websites
807 websites
1,219 websites
506 websites
360 websites
Visual Distribution
87,224 websites
27,032 websites
10,265 websites
12,789 websites
1,159 websites
7,516 websites
807 websites
1,219 websites
506 websites
360 websites
| Platform | Websites with Signals | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | 87224 | 55.74% |
| Shopify | 27032 | 17.27% |
| Custom | 10265 | 6.56% |
| Wix eCommerce | 12789 | 8.17% |
| OpenCart | 1159 | 0.74% |
| Squarespace Commerce | 7516 | 4.80% |
| Ecwid | 807 | 0.52% |
| Magento | 1219 | 0.78% |
| PrestaShop | 506 | 0.32% |
| JouwWeb | 360 | 0.23% |
Categories Distribution
Health & Beauty stores with 18.8% of all stores (12,399 stores) , followed by Clothing & Accessories (14.3%) and Food & Beverages (9.4%) .
Base: 65,941 active verified stores, including stores without a detected category. Percentages use this full population, not only the displayed categories.
Top 10 Categories
12,399 stores
9,456 stores
6,211 stores
5,532 stores
3,477 stores
3,435 stores
2,531 stores
2,519 stores
2,368 stores
2,324 stores
Visual Distribution
12,399 stores
9,456 stores
6,211 stores
5,532 stores
3,477 stores
3,435 stores
2,531 stores
2,519 stores
2,368 stores
2,324 stores
| Category | Number of Stores | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Health & Beauty | 12399 | 18.80% |
| Clothing & Accessories | 9456 | 14.34% |
| Food & Beverages | 6211 | 9.42% |
| Sporting Goods & Outdoor Gear | 5532 | 8.39% |
| Home & Garden | 3477 | 5.27% |
| Electronics & Technology | 3435 | 5.21% |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2531 | 3.84% |
| Toys & Games | 2519 | 3.82% |
| Tools & Hardware | 2368 | 3.59% |
| Gifts & Special Occasions | 2324 | 3.52% |
Payment Providers Distribution
PayFast accounts for 27.7% of displayed detection occurrences (14,468 occurrences) , followed by VISA (14.7%) and MasterCard (14.5%) .
Base: 52,238 provider detection occurrences in the displayed ranking, from active stores. One store can contribute multiple occurrences. These percentages are not the share of unique stores or all detections.
Detected from publicly accessible website content and technical signals. Detection does not confirm an active provider contract or availability at checkout.
Top 10 Payment Providers
14,468 occurrences
7,690 occurrences
7,560 occurrences
6,576 occurrences
4,901 occurrences
3,221 occurrences
2,501 occurrences
1,992 occurrences
1,823 occurrences
1,506 occurrences
Visual Distribution
14,468 occurrences
7,690 occurrences
7,560 occurrences
6,576 occurrences
4,901 occurrences
3,221 occurrences
2,501 occurrences
1,992 occurrences
1,823 occurrences
1,506 occurrences
| Payment Provider | Detection Occurrences | Share of Displayed Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| PayFast | 14468 | 27.70% |
| VISA | 7690 | 14.72% |
| MasterCard | 7560 | 14.47% |
| PayPal | 6576 | 12.59% |
| Yoco | 4901 | 9.38% |
| American Express | 3221 | 6.17% |
| Stripe | 2501 | 4.79% |
| Apple Pay | 1992 | 3.81% |
| Payflex | 1823 | 3.49% |
| PayGate | 1506 | 2.88% |
Shipping Carriers Distribution
The Courier Guy accounts for 38.9% of displayed detection occurrences (8,420 occurrences) , followed by Pudo (14.3%) and Aramex (9.4%) .
Base: 21,640 carrier detection occurrences in the displayed ranking, from active stores. One store can contribute multiple occurrences. These percentages are not the share of unique stores or all detections.
Detected from publicly accessible website content and technical signals. Detection does not confirm an active carrier contract or shipping destinations.
Top 10 Shipping Carriers
Visual Distribution
8,420 occurrences
3,105 occurrences
2,037 occurrences
1,927 occurrences
1,429 occurrences
1,120 occurrences
1,003 occurrences
971 occurrences
863 occurrences
765 occurrences
| Shipping Carrier | Detection Occurrences | Share of Displayed Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| The Courier Guy | 8420 | 38.91% |
| Pudo | 3105 | 14.35% |
| Aramex | 2037 | 9.41% |
| PostNet | 1927 | 8.90% |
| DHL | 1429 | 6.60% |
| Fastway | 1120 | 5.18% |
| FedEx | 1003 | 4.63% |
| Paxi | 971 | 4.49% |
| UPS | 863 | 3.99% |
| Pargo | 765 | 3.54% |
Store Launch Timeline
Over the past 12 months, 15,050 new stores were launched in South Africa , with the highest activity in 2026-09 (2,288 stores) , demonstrating ongoing growth in the e-commerce market.
Last 12 Months
2,288 stores launched
2,219 stores launched
1,933 stores launched
1,478 stores launched
1,304 stores launched
1,054 stores launched
1,139 stores launched
945 stores launched
948 stores launched
685 stores launched
891 stores launched
166 stores launched
Monthly Trend
15.2% of last 12 months
14.7% of last 12 months
12.8% of last 12 months
9.8% of last 12 months
8.7% of last 12 months
7.0% of last 12 months
7.6% of last 12 months
6.3% of last 12 months
6.3% of last 12 months
4.6% of last 12 months
5.9% of last 12 months
1.1% of last 12 months
| Month | Stores Launched | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 | 2288 | 15.20% |
| 2026-08 | 2219 | 14.74% |
| 2026-07 | 1933 | 12.84% |
| 2026-06 | 1478 | 9.82% |
| 2026-05 | 1304 | 8.66% |
| 2026-04 | 1054 | 7.00% |
| 2026-03 | 1139 | 7.57% |
| 2026-02 | 945 | 6.28% |
| 2026-01 | 948 | 6.30% |
| 2025-12 | 685 | 4.55% |
| 2025-11 | 891 | 5.92% |
| 2025-10 | 166 | 1.10% |
Active Stores by Launch Year
Currently, 64,452 active stores in South Africa are tracked in our database , with the most stores launched in 2026 (14,012 stores still active) . This shows the distribution of currently active stores by their original launch year.
Active Stores by Launch Year
14,012 active stores
7,838 active stores
5,773 active stores
4,550 active stores
3,974 active stores
4,570 active stores
4,487 active stores
3,131 active stores
2,963 active stores
2,985 active stores
1,125 active stores
877 active stores
867 active stores
1,169 active stores
759 active stores
Distribution by Launch Year
21.7% of tracked active stores
12.2% of tracked active stores
9.0% of tracked active stores
7.1% of tracked active stores
6.2% of tracked active stores
7.1% of tracked active stores
7.0% of tracked active stores
4.9% of tracked active stores
4.6% of tracked active stores
4.6% of tracked active stores
1.7% of tracked active stores
1.4% of tracked active stores
1.3% of tracked active stores
1.8% of tracked active stores
1.2% of tracked active stores
| Launch Year | Active Stores | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14012 | 21.74% |
| 2025 | 7838 | 12.16% |
| 2024 | 5773 | 8.96% |
| 2023 | 4550 | 7.06% |
| 2022 | 3974 | 6.17% |
| 2021 | 4570 | 7.09% |
| 2020 | 4487 | 6.96% |
| 2019 | 3131 | 4.86% |
| 2018 | 2963 | 4.60% |
| 2017 | 2985 | 4.63% |
| 2016 | 1125 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | 877 | 1.36% |
| 2014 | 867 | 1.35% |
| 2013 | 1169 | 1.81% |
| 2012 | 759 | 1.18% |
Featured Stores
A selection of notable and recently launched stores in this segment.
New Stores
Recently launched stores detected by ShopRank in the last full month.
Custom - Food & Beverages
Shopify - Health & Beauty
Custom - Electronics & Technology
Shopify - Electronics & Technology
Shopify - Electronics & Technology
Data Coverage
Coverage among active verified stores in this country.
| Field | Rows count | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Website | 65.9k | 100.00% |
| Emails | 53.3k | 80.87% |
| Phones | 39.4k | 59.77% |
| Ecommerce platform | 65.9k | 100.00% |
| Couriers | 16.2k | 24.49% |
| Payment Providers | 30.6k | 46.39% |
| Categories | 60.3k | 91.47% |
| Social Media | 40.6k | 61.56% |
Coverage reflects detectability from publicly accessible website content and technical signals. A detected provider does not establish an active commercial relationship, and a missing signal does not establish absence. These counts are not confirmed transaction or shipment market shares.
Market Intelligence
On-demand market analysis
Self-service access to market data and insights
- Search and segment stores by any criteria
- API integration for automated workflows
- Periodic index updates
- Market sizing and segmentation
Strategic Intelligence
Custom research and competitive analysis
Tailored intelligence for strategic decisions
- Custom market reports and analysis
- Competitive landscape monitoring
- Direct support from the founder
- Flexible licensing and enterprise pricing
Market Intelligence
Understand the South Africa e-commerce landscape:
Analyze 65.9k verified e-commerce stores in South Africa - technology adoption, market share, competitive positioning.
- Compare Market Segments
-
Compare the platform, technology, and category segments in this report. For changes over time, request a custom comparison of available snapshots.
- Size Your Addressable Market
-
Segment stores by country, platform, category, PSP, carrier, technology, and merchant-size signals to quantify your market opportunity.
- Compare Markets
-
See how payment providers, shipping carriers and platforms differ by country, category and store size.
Data Access
- Interactive search and filtering via web app
- REST API for programmatic access and automation
- CSV/XLSX exports; full-market datasets by agreement
Use Cases
Get every store in this country with its payment providers, carriers and size tier as a market feed.
- Competitive intelligence and market sizing
- Technology adoption analysis and custom snapshot comparisons
- Sales prospecting and account-based targeting
- Investment research and due diligence
Explore Other Markets
Frequently Asked Questions
- What data is included in the South Africa e-commerce intelligence?
-
We track 65.9k verified South Africa e-commerce stores whose profiles can include: e-commerce platform, product counts, categories, payment providers, shipping carriers, technology stack, merchant-size signals, and available business contact fields.
- How is the data collected and how often is it updated?
-
We rebuild the searchable index typically every 2–4 weeks. Observation dates vary by source and field; a rebuild does not mean every website was observed again. This public report has its own publication date and may use an older snapshot than the live catalog. Coverage varies by field and market. A missing payment or carrier signal means we did not detect it, not that the merchant does not use it.
- How do I access the data?
-
Self-service plans give you instant access through our web app and REST API. You can search, filter, and segment stores interactively or integrate programmatically into your workflows. View plans →
- Can I filter by specific segments?
-
Yes. You can segment by country, platform, product category, payment provider, shipping carrier, technology stack, store age, cross-border signals, and merchant-size bands. Some advanced signals are plan-gated, and the same field contract is used by the web app, exports, and API.
- Do you offer enterprise or custom licensing?
-
Yes. For large-scale data needs, custom market reports, or dedicated support, contact us to discuss enterprise pricing.
Social Media Usage
Facebook accounts for 32.6% of displayed detection occurrences (33,610 occurrences) , followed by Instagram (31.9%) and TikTok (8.4%) .
Base: 102,949 social-platform detection occurrences in the displayed ranking, from active stores. One store can contribute multiple occurrences. These percentages are not the share of unique stores or all detections.
Links and embeds detected on public pages; private/hidden profiles not counted.
Top 10 Social Platforms
33,610 occurrences
32,830 occurrences
8,656 occurrences
7,957 occurrences
6,050 occurrences
4,399 occurrences
4,048 occurrences
2,797 occurrences
2,417 occurrences
185 occurrences
Visual Distribution
33,610 occurrences
32,830 occurrences
8,656 occurrences
7,957 occurrences
6,050 occurrences
4,399 occurrences
4,048 occurrences
2,797 occurrences
2,417 occurrences
185 occurrences