• Amazon.co.za has announced the launch of a new Shop Mzanzi storefront.
• The storefront will focus on highlighting unique local products from South African sellers.
• The launch comes on the eve of National Heritage Day in SA.

If you visit the amazon.co.za website right now you may notice a new banner titled Shop Mzanzi.

As the would suggest, it is a dedicated storefront on the local Amazon site aimed at highlighting unique local products and items from South African sellers.

“Shop Mzansi’ features thousands of products across different categories – including Toys, Home and Kitchen Appliances, Outdoor and Braai, Baby, Luggage, and Beauty – making it easier than ever for millions of customers to find products from local small businesses in South Africa,” the online retail giant noted in a release shared with Hypertext.

The launch of the new storefront today is for good reason too, as it has been done on the eve of National Heritage Day in SA.

“Shop Mzansi showcases more than 160 brands from new, emerging, and established South African businesses, each with their own unique story. South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit is undeniable and we are thrilled to provide a dedicated online store that provides opportunities to support the growth of small businesses so they can thrive in our economy,” added Robert Koen, MD of Sub-Saharan Africa at Amazon.

The ecommerce platform also explained that the storefront will be used to promotes thousand of products from independent sellers across South Africa alongside recognised brands. These include the likes of Heartfelt, Tiger Lily Tots, and King Kong Leather.

“We are committed to the ongoing success of our independent sellers as they are fundamental to our ability to offer a broad selection, great prices, and a convenient shopping experience for our customers,” continued Koen.

“Launching the Shop Mzansi storefront is a continuation of our promise to continually invest and innovate on behalf of our customers, while providing independent sellers with customer reach and the tools and services needed to grow. We will continue adding to the Shop Mzansi selection as we onboard more sellers and help them list their products,” he concluded.

With amazon.co.za needing something to distinguish itself from the current dominance of Takealot locally, as well as the aggressively priced offerings from Temu and Shein of late, it will be interesting to see if this storefront will do the trick, or if more is needed to tempt local consumers to shop with Amazon.