Amazon opens walk-in centre in South Africa

Amazon has opened a new Amazon Seller Success Centre at its Cape Town office, with the hope of getting more businesses signed up to its marketplace.
Amazon said that the the new walk-in seller hub will allow local businesses from across South Africa to reach more customers and expand their businesses.
The new centre will be located in Amazon’s head office in Cape Town and will offer local sellers a host of services, such as on-the-spot registration to sell on Amazon.co.za.
The centre will open to the public and allow walk-ins from all entrepreneurs and businesses interested in exploring selling opportunities in Amazon’s stores.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the Amazon Seller Success Centre to South African small businesses,” said Robert Koen, Managing Director of Amazon Sub-Saharan Africa.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering the growth of local businesses and contributing to South Africa’s digital economy.”
“By providing hands-on support and resources, we’re working to bridge the technological divide for those who historically have not been able to access e-commerce opportunities.”
“We also acknowledge the importance of in-person interactions to make it easier for South African small businesses to take advantage of all the opportunities available to Amazon’s selling partners.”
The launch of the Seller Success Centre is timely for South Africa’s Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SSME) sector, which employs roughly 50% of the nation’s workforce and contributes about 34% to GDP.
However, it also struggles to keep up with digital adoption due to limited access to technology and skills.
The Centre will address these challenges by allowing sellers and small businesses with tools to enable greater digital adoption.
The centre’s staff will know the subject matter into various aspects of Amazon’s offerings, offering selling partners, entrepreneurs and small businesses access to in-depth knowledge of seller account management and onboarding.
The centre will also host and moderate monthly selling partner connect sessions, allowing networking opportunities and peer-to-peer learning experiences.
Amazon South Africa will also host its first-ever Seller Summit within the first half of 2025, providing the company’s existing and potential selling partners with exclusive content, such as the latest tools and innovations.
“The Amazon Seller Success Centre is a launchpad for local businesses aiming to thrive in the digital marketplace,” said Suzelle Abe, Head of Marketplace, Amazon South Africa.
“Based on feedback from our selling partners, we want to give businesses of all sizes access to the necessary tools to take the – sometimes daunting – leap into the digital realm and expose them to more customers.”
“This initiative empowers small businesses to scale both locally and globally, while at the same time broadening customer choices. Ultimately, it’s about fostering a vibrant seller community that contributes to our country’s prosperity.”
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