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International Sellers Selling on South African Online Marketplaces

By Bobby Buys

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Many international sellers that have had success selling on other online marketplaces such have found selling on South African equivalents to be very lucrative. They usually achieve significantly higher margins on South African online trading platforms compared to other online marketplaces. This may because South Africans are still largely accustomed to buying from real world shopping malls where retailers generally add a high mark up to their goods.

When you search on which South African online marketplace to sell, look for one that has an abundance of items listed, because that is the one where all the buyers are. Also look for the hosting site that does not charge any compulsory listing fees so you can try listing items for sale with no risk. As a matter of fact, most South African online consumer-to-consumer trading platforms do not charge listing fees. Be prepared, however, to pay a success fee, which is usually up to 5 percent of the selling price, once you actually sell your wares.

Selling in the South African market places involves pretty much the same procedure as selling on any other similar site. You need to:

Register as a user. Provide your basic details: name, address, telephone number, email address.

Register as a seller. Provide your credit card details. You may also be asked to provide a copy of your passport and utility bill.

List your items for sale.

Some tips for selling to South African online shoppers:

The local currency is called Rands (R) and the exchange rate is currently approximately R8.00 to US $1.00.

Best products to sell are smaller items such as consumer electronics, jewellery, gemstones etc. tend to sell better than bigger bulkier items.

Try to offer as many payment options as possible, such as credit cards and PayPal.

South African buyers tend to prefer to pay a bit more to have a reliable shipping method such as UPS or DHL rather than using regular mail. Make sure you insure the parcel and provide your buyers with the relevant tracking number.

Often, smaller packages pass through South African customs without any problems. However, make it clear to buyers in your product descriptions that they may be liable for 14% VAT as well as any customs duties if applicable. Look up the South African Customs Service on the internet to find out exactly which items are subject to custom duties or ad-valorum.

South Africa is a diverse country with a rich heritage of different cultures and an eventful history. Since 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected as the first democratic president, the country has gone through an economic transformation. The country has a burgeoning middle class with a large amount of spending power. With a population of almost 42 million people, there are currently about 5 million internet users. Historically South Africa has lagged the developed world in internet access. However, this is rapidly changing with a number of new International undersea telecommunications cables coming online between now and 2011. That means that online shopping is set to grow from strength to strength!

bidorbuy.co.za is South Africa's largest online marketplace. Buyers and sellers come to bidorbuy to buy and sell virtually anything in auction format or at fixed prices. Contact details: bidorbuy Marketing Department; email promotion@bidorbuy.co.za, web site www.bidorbuy.co.za

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