Amazon South Africa hosted its inaugural Seller Summit at its Cape Town headquarters, welcoming more than 300 entrepreneurs from across the country.
The event offered expert guidance, practical data-driven insights, and networking opportunities to help local businesses grow and thrive on amazon.co.za.
"Today marks an important milestone in our journey in South Africa. Customers love the wide selection, great value, and the convenience of the Amazon experience. We are adding thousands of new products to the store every week with the help of our third-party sellers who are fundamental to our customer-centric business model. The energy and entrepreneurial spirit felt at the Summit reinforces our belief in the immense potential of South African businesses to thrive in the digital economy," said Robert Koen, Amazon Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The online retailer said that the event provided sellers with immersive masterclasses to test and explore Amazon’s diverse solutions that simplify the seller journey from product listing, advertising, and brand building, to shipping and fulfillment.
Local and international subject matter experts provided guidance on leveraging Amazon’s latest capabilities to reach more customers, attain growth goals, and drive success.
Among the Summit's highlights was a video message from Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, who reinforced Amazon’s commitment to helping small businesses grow by continually investing in and inventing solutions to support entrepreneurs.
With more than 60% of items sold globally on Amazon coming from independent sellers, primarily small businesses, Amazon said it invests heavily in logistics and programmes to help third-party selling partners scale their businesses online.
The keynote address by business strategist, Vusi Thembekwayo, covered "Your Customer Today and Tomorrow," and offered insights into evolving consumer behaviours and how businesses can stay ahead of market trends.
Suzelle Abe, Head of Marketplace at Amazon South Africa, emphasised the company's continued investment in seller success: "We are humbled by the overwhelming response to our first Summit as it reflects the appetite among South African entrepreneurs to expand their horizons through e-commerce. We're committed to providing not just a marketplace, but the tools, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. This is just the beginning of our investment in South African sellers, and we're excited to see the growth and innovation that will come from the connections made today."
“Participating in Amazon’s Summit as both a seller and speaker was an invaluable experience. It was an opportunity to share key insights from our brand’s journey while engaging with a community of driven, like-minded entrepreneurs. Amazon continues to prove itself as a powerful platform—when leveraged strategically, it offers a comprehensive customer-centric environment capable of scaling and sustaining long-term business growth,” said Nadia Michaels, Co-Founder of Yearn Skin.
“My experience at the summit was fantastic. It was evident that customer experience is a top priority, and the environment fostered a sense of enthusiasm and collaboration. It was inspiring to see how Amazon is supporting sellers in South Africa and creating an environment that encourages growth and innovation,” said Denvor Farao, Channel Sales Manager at ErgonomicsDirect.
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