More and more Africans are going online shopping as internet use grows and mobile phone service provided make it accessible for the general masses to use the medium as a tool of trade.

Increased availability of broadband access, more affordable data costs offered by mobile operators and the consistent development of mobile devices, online shopping is gaining great traction in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Fatima Sullivan, Head of Retail at DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa told New Business Ethiopia “With improved infrastructure, in terms of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and online safety and security, more people are choosing to make use of online shopping over traditional brick and mortar outlets due to the variety of products available to them at just a click of a button.”

Sullivan pointed to the amazing successes of local ecommerce start-ups like Zando in South Africa and JUMIA in Nigeria; both part of the Africa Internet Holding, who are gearing up for the festive season.

JUMIA, which only launched in 2012, has already expanded into six markets, to take advantage of this growth, with Zando planning expansion plans in the near future.

Jeremy Hodara, Co-CEO of the Africa Internet Holding and Sascha Breuss, MD of Zando agree, that “it is very expensive to buy abroad.” They also emphasize on the importance of a strong logistics partner to gain the customers trust.

“This is the biggest test, since there are many fears of frauds and we have to educate consumers about shopping online securely. For example, we have to be transparent on prices, taxes, or shipment costs. That’s why JUMIA and ZANDO accept payments on delivery and offer free returns to deliver a safe, stress-free and convenient shopping experience.”

Sullivan, says that while online shopping has many benefits, not many South African consumers are aware of the regulations involved with importing products purchased online from international retailers, which could lead to consumers incurring additional expenses, thereby making the product less of an attractive buy.

“As an example, all shipments transported across international borders must be cleared through Customs, where, depending on the type of goods being shipped, they may also be subject to certain other restrictions and regulations,” she said.

“There are goods such as clothing that attract high rates of duty and are subject to interventions by Customs where the price, contents and country of manufacture are often interrogated to mitigate a wide range of risks.”