New online retail body for SA

A new body representing online retailers and e-commerce professionals in South Africa is set to launch officially next month.
SAIRA, an ‘interactive membership community’ will host its inaugural Online Retailing Conference on 13/14 October 2014 at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West in Cape Town.
“SAIRA was established to promote, support and protect Internet Retailers in South Africa and will offer online shoppers independent and impartial guidance on who best to use for their online purchases,” the new body said.
It follows the launch of the The E-Commerce Association (TECA) last month, a new body which aims to represent and promote e-commerce in South Africa.
Although not a regulated body, SAIRA, which is a non profit organisation, aims to be the voice of the online retail sector, said co-founder, Gary Amstutz.
Amstutz is MD at RubberStampSA, a fully automated, online rubber stamp ordering shop in South Africa.
He said that SAIRA will have a ratings and review model for consumers to interact with online retailers following their purchase.
He said that the aim of the body is to support online retailers and e-commerce professionals and suppliers, with consumers also given support “to complete the circle”.
SAIRA will host an annual two-day conference and exhibition exclusively dedicated to Internet Retailing in South Africa, while its member service will be split up into two sections, namely retailers, and suppliers.
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