AMAZON TO LAUNCH IN SA IN 2023

At the moment, Amazon runs marketplaces in 20 different countries across the globe. If rumours are to be believed, South Africa might soon become another country on that list.

Along with South Africa, the online shopping site also plans to launch in Belgium, Colombia, Nigeria and Chile.

Business Insider reports that:

·        Belgium’s marketplace, called Project Red Devil, is slated for late September.

·        The one in Colombia, dubbed Project Salsa, is scheduled for February 2023.

·        South Africa, codenamed Project Fela, is also expected in February 2023.

·        The marketplace in Nigeria is due to launch in April 2023. That project shares the codename Project Fela with South Africa.

·        Chile is planned for April 2023, too. That shares the Project Salsa name with Colombia.

Although Amazon has said that it will be scaling back in the United States, it has become evident that the online retail giant is now choosing to invest in areas that can generate long-term growth.

Currently, it seems to be focusing on emerging markets like South America and Africa.

It seems like good planning on Amazon’s side now that the massive online shopping boom is over. The two-year online shopping boom was driven by the Covid pandemic. To keep up with capacity during the boom, Amazon had to hire extra staff members and build extra warehouses.

Now that they’re including emerging markets into their portfolio, they might be able to ensure everyone keeps their jobs and the warehouse space is not going to waste.

No one from Amazon has confirmed whether the reports are true.

Image credit: Good Things Guy