Publication: The Sunday Times - Supplement (Misc)
Author: Brendon Petersen
Photograph: Unspecified
THE DIGITAL BRIDGE:
E-COMMERCE AS A CAREER PATHWAY IN SOUTH AFRICA
How platforms, training and persistence are creating new economic pathways for youth in a digitally divided nation.
Despite e-commerce’s global spread, its potential as a career pathway for South African youth remains largely unrealised. The question of how young South Africans might transition from digital consumers to creators sits at the intersection of policy, opportunity and infrastructure.
“It’s a common narrative that South Africa suffers from unequal digital access — but I think we need to reframe how we look at it,” argues Mishaan Ratan, CMO of Rentoza. “While fixed-line infrastructure like fibre may still need around thirty per cent of households, mobile connectivity in South Africa is remarkably high with penetration sitting at around ninety-five per cent.”
The issue, Ratan contends, isn’t binary access but graduated capability: “Access, in its broadest sense — isn’t the problem anymore — nearly everyone has a mobile phone and a way to get online. The challenge is more around the quality of access: data affordability, network speed and device capability.”
These subtle gradients of digital inclusion shape who can meaningfully participate in e-commerce ecosystems.
The Youth Employment Service (YES) has positioned itself at this inflection point, working to convert reachable access into economic participation. “YES is a demand-led organisation working with 1,800-plus corporate sponsors,” explains Ravi Naidoo, CEO of YES. “In the past twelve months, 43,033 youth got jobs through YES, making it the largest private sector-funded youth jobs programme in South Africa.”
EMERGING ENTREPRENEURIALISM
Beyond immediate employment, YES has witnessed emerging entrepreneurialism among its participants. “Seventeen per cent of YES Youth alumni are currently engaged in entrepreneurial activity with many using the foundational digital knowledge acquired in the programme to power their businesses,” notes Naidoo. The programme specifically places about 3,500 YES youth into digital and e-commerce jobs every year.
“South Africa’s youth represent not only future customers, but also tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators,” says Robert Koen, Amazon managing director for sub-Saharan Africa. Amazon has established infrastructure specifically designed to support emerging entrepreneurs, including “Seller University … a comprehensive online learning platform that provides free, self-paced training through video tutorials, detailed guides and interactive modules.”
THE CHALLENGES
Yet significant gaps remain between entry and sustainability. As Ratan candidly observes: “E-commerce does lower traditional barriers to entry. With the right tools, someone can spin up a store, start selling and build a customer base — often without needing physical retail space or major capital outlay. But that’s only the beginning.”
The transition from starting to sustaining represents the critical juncture where many falter. “Moving from a solo-run store to a fully fledged, sustainable business involves entirely new layers of complexity: hiring, funding, supply chain, logistics and compliance,” Ratan explains. “These are significant hurdles many don’t see coming because they are so deceptively smooth.”
For those attempting to scale, South Africa presents distinct challenges that defy templated growth strategies. “Over the past decade, South Africa has experienced significant economic and political volatility — and building a business in this environment means navigating uncharted territory,” says Ratan. “The traditional ‘growth at all costs’ narrative doesn’t hold up in our context.”
This necessitates a recalibration of expectations. “The growth trajectory in South Africa isn’t linear — what we saw last year isn’t what we’re seeing now, and certainly not what we’ll see next year,” Ratan observes. “Success here doesn’t always look like Silicon Valley, and that’s okay. It can still be transformative — just on our own terms.”
What emerges is a more nuanced understanding of digital empowerment; one that recognises both progress and persistent challenges. E-commerce presents not simply a business model, but also a tool for broader economic inclusion.
As Naidoo concludes, the first necessary change would be “to refocus public education on digital tools and real digital fluency, rather than outdated computer literacy.” Without such fundamental shifts, the promise of e-commerce as a career pathway for South African youth may remain partially fulfilled — accessible to some but elusive for many.
Amendment to the Gazette