Leading etailing marketers share their insights on COVID-19’s silver linings

Some of the leading global and local pioneers in ecommerce and customer experience (CX) are set to share their insights, case studies and success stories at the upcoming CEM Africa from 10–11 November 2021. This follows the unprecedented, accelerated adoption of ecommerce and online shopping by billions during the last 18 months, and etailing proving to be one of the few silver linings in a pandemic-depressed economy worldwide.

*CEM = Customer Experience Management

CEM Africa speaker and session highlights include:

• Qaalfa Dibeehi is the Dean of the Customer Experience Leadership Institute (The School of Great Moments), at Majid Al Futtaim, a global conglomerate (retail, hotels, property, grocery, luxury, entertainment, cinemas, etc) based in Dubai.
  
  - “The technology we now refer to as CRM stems from the need to have real time customer dialogue” - Source
  
  On Day 1, on Wednesday, 10 November, Qaalfa Dibeehi is delivering the opening keynote presentation entitled: “DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND LOFI CX - LOW FIDELITY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE”.
  
  
• Robert Paddock is the founder and CEO of the Valenture Institute. He was the co-founder of GetSmarter, an online education company that has educated over 200,000 professionals from 154 countries, and was sold to Nasdaq-listed 2U in 2017.
  
  - Rob believes that the online experience has got to be designed from first-principles: “The closest analogy [for bricks and mortar schools operating remotely] would be if you’ve got a petrol or diesel engine car and you try to retrofit an electric engine into it, versus a purpose built electric car”. - Source
  
  Robert Paddack is presenting a case study on “ONLINE EDUCATION SECTOR - THE NEW STUDENT EXPERIENCE”.
  
  
• Steve Towers is a Process Management and Customer Experience enabler from the USA. The founder of the BP Group in 1992, Steve was named one of the 30 most influential Global Customer Service Experts in 2021.
  
  - “Without a clear, outside-in line of sight to what your customers true needs and successful outcomes are, you will never be truly customer centric. Change is a must. Every person in the organisation needs to make the customer their True North”.
  
  Steve Towers will deliver a keynote on “THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN THE ADOPTION OF CX APPROACHES”.
  
  
• Simon Hartley is the founder of Wumdrop in South Africa.
  
  - “As of 2021, “informal economy” is a phrase that absolves South African businesses of meaningfully serving the overwhelming majority of South Africans when things get hard, or complicated. And I do mean most of us. Our “formal” retail economy comprises a whole 5% of total outlets in South Africa. We’re not even into double digits”.
  
  At CEM Africa, Simon Hartley is part of a panel discussion on “REDEFINING CX FOR THE NEW ERA”. He will be joined by Kia Abbott, Rewards Programme Manager at the Shoprite Group of Companies, Lynne Blignaut, Group Loyalty and Customer Rewards, Dis-Chem and Clint Payne, Senior Manager – Customer Experience at Multichoice.
  
  
• Julia Ahlfeldt is a South African Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and one of the marketing experts behind the 2021 South African Digital Customer Experience Report. At CEM Africa, Julia will lead the panel discussion to unpack the compelling, and sometimes, surprising results from the survey. According to the report, South Africa’s most recently reported online spend of R30bn1 suggests that if online stores were to fix key issues they’d potentially generate an additional R11.95bn in revenue.
  
  - “South African consumers have clearly embraced ecommerce,” says Julia. “With improved levels of connectivity and an abundance of online shopping options, there’s no good reason why South Africa should still lag behind. Customer experience is holding it back”. 
  
  
• Chantel Botha, MD of Brandlove Customer Experience, will share “THE SILVER BULLET TO IMPROVING YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE”, during which participants will create a practical playbook of rituals and cultural practices that will help their organisation thrive.
  
  - “Poor customer experience is only a symptom. Start a cultural evolution to move your organisation to remarkable employee and customer experiences”.

Valuable CX lessons
The CEM Africa Summit has been around for a decade and has played a leading role in South Africa’s customer experience journey and has connected thousands of CX professionals over the years. Confirmed event sponsors so far include Freshworks, Verint, Insider, Infobip, Rogerwilco, Simplify360 and Inquba.CX experts from some of the most recognised and successful brands on the continent, including Multichoice, Woolworths, Shoprite, Superbalist, African Bank, DHL and Rand Merchant Bank, will share their valuable lessons learnt (from success and failure) during the event.

How to join them?
CEM Africa returns via a world-class virtual event platform offering access to the live keynotes, panel discussions and the agenda. Attendees will be able to engage with the speakers and participate in Q&A sessions, polls and surveys. They can also contact exhibitors via chat or video call, exchange business cards with other participants and download brochures. To register and access the full programme, click here.

About CEM Africa 
CEM Africa is the largest online CX event on the continent and is organised by Kinetic Events, which is a partner of The Vuka Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa).

Dates and location: Dates: 10–11 November 2021
Venue: Online

Website: https://cemafricasummit.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cem-africa-summit/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/CEMAfrica/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CEMAfricaSummit

Media registration: Register to attend for free here

Media contacts:
Adam Fletcher, Chief Marketing Officer, CEM Africa
Mobile: 071 130 9160
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Annemarie Roodbol
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

13 July 2021, Johannesburg

Showcasing unique designs, Trend{ING} is a boutique store that blends European and Scandi style with design perfection. This proudly South African brand produces many local products throughout their range of luxury living items. With the goal to boost local craftsmanship, Trend{ING} aims to uplift the shopping experience by being conscious and mindful of their products and production. Trend{ING} products boast functionality without sacrificing beauty.

Fueled by love and a passion for design and trends, Trend{ING} is an organic, natural, trendy, minimal lifestyle brand that speaks to the everyday consumer. Trend{ING} emerged when Lexi and Penina, two interior designers, recognised a gap where the styles they were searching for were not readily available in South Africa, under one brand. The pair would host parties, creating their own decor and design and soon enough, orders for their custom made decor began to soar, resulting in the opening of two branches, in Glenhazel and Parkview. 

The online store hosts all their products in an easy-to-navigate front end, threading the trademark Trend{ING} design through to make your online shopping experience a beautiful one. Online orders are available for pick up or (often, same day) delivery. Shoppers can also engage with the Trend{ING} team on their website chatbox for instant assistance. 

Trend{ING} curates most of its own products, ranging from homeware, furniture, bath and hydro, lifestyle and living, baby gifting and corporate gifting.

This is a lifestyle brand that ticks all the boxes while being at the forefront of #creatingtrends. Extra care and thought have been put into every item on the Trend{ING} product list, products are sulphate free and glass replaces all plastic, while the ceramics in the Trend{ING} range are hand poured and are certainly not your standard ceramics range. Each item is created with love and passion for design and functionality.

Adding to the uniqueness of the brand, is the heart and soul of Lexi and Penina. The pair strive to give each and every customer a truly special experience when shopping in store or online. Customers are often sent videos of how to style their purchased products, given tips and decor advice in a practical and warm way. Both Lexi and Penina personally assist with orders online, over Whatsapp and Instagram which has helped to secure a client following of satisfied customers.

As Penina explains “regardless of the time of day, each client is given the full Trend{ING} experience coupled with our full care and attention to detail. There is very little we won’t do to help a customer feel immersed in our brand’s experience”. This is a forever lifestyle brand, displaying an edgy, smokey, classic-modern look and feel. It is important to Lexi and Penina that the brand exudes the flair and passion for design that they both live by. There is so much love poured into this brand, which is why its customers feel connected to the items and truly value their shopping experience with Trend{ING}. 

The passionate team at Trend{ING} hope to help you beautify your lifestyle. Visit https://trend-ing.co.za/ now!

Pixelsmith Studios has always been about connecting, promoting and celebrating South African creatives. This brainchild of Ruan Smit, Matt Davison and Neal Strydom has become a design-oriented hub for over 800 creatives. Used by Animators, illustrators, VFX artists, game developers and more, the online environment encourages sharing, learning and expertise development amongst local creatives. Since its inception in 2010, the site has become a popular place to find reliable tech reviews, networking connections, local and international artist interviews and more.

2021 has seen the site be redesigned, optimised and given a whole new purpose. More recently, The Marketing Mill made a strategic investment in the site. This was done to enable creatives to make money online through services on the site and help to create an income for digital creators in South Africa. Now if you head to http://pixelsmithstudios.com, you’ll be able to choose from a selection of proudly South African digital products for your creative projects.

While we’re initially opening our doors to Illustrators and Graphic Designers in South Africa for free, we’re also setting the foundations so that we can expand to assist Animators, Game Developers, 2D and 3D Modellers and VFX artists, encouraging them to open stores on our platform. Signing up is completely free for a year, and artists will take 90% of the proceeds for the sale.

While not the first digital marketplace in South Africa, Pixelsmith Studios aims to be the best for both sellers and customers. Ruan Smit explains that “there’s not currently a beneficial place where South African creatives can promote and sell their work. We wanted to create a site where we could empower designers in SA to sell designs and services to an international audience.”. The goal of the site is to build a network and digital marketplace not just in South Africa but one that has international opportunities. Pixelsmith Studios was started to help creatives gain more exposure and essentially help build their career. The team behind Pixelsmith Studios has always had a passion for helping people and looking after fellow creatives. This has become increasingly important over the last year during this difficult time. Covid-19 hasn’t made things easy and creatives need a way to sell their products online and that’s what we have adapted our site for.

But this doesn’t mean that the original purpose of the site has been abandoned. Creatives will still be able to promote themselves, network, find jobs and help each other out on the subdomain, creatives.pixelsmithstudios.com or hop on our Discord server. Here you can find a like-minded community of over 100 creatives who are passionate about what they do. If you need feedback on your creations, advice or are looking for work, our Discord is the place to go. 

Siblings Gianna, Kenley and Danica McIntosh aren’t your average kids – they just launched Kidpreneurs, a handmade Bath Bomb business at 8,6 and 5 years old. These Durban kids were born in the Middle East and arrived in South Africa in 2015, and are groomed for business by the parents.

After a successful launch at their local shopping complex in Queensburgh, Durban, the siblings are being bombarded with bulk custom orders for Christmas, as well as orders for bath bomb party favours. Their online store, www.kidpreneur.online was set-up so that their bombs could be sold to South Africans across the country. Their booming business sells handmade bath bombs that transform your bath into a luxurious spa experience by fizzing and releasing essential oils and fragrances. In addition to bath bombs, the McIntosh siblings make Shower Steamers, which you place in the corner of the shower and as hot water splashes on the steamer, essential oil fragrances are released. The McIntosh siblings hope to see their products being sold in major stores across South Africa.

8-year-old Gianna hopes to be a property developer when she is older. 6-year-old Kenley hopes to be a builder, while the youngest sibling Danica wants to own a bakery. These money-savvy kids plan to invest their business proceeds to fund their tertiary education. One thing is for sure….with a strong entrepreneurial foundation, these kids are destined for greatness! 

As South Africans, we take our fashion seriously! We’ve been known to always have our finger on the latest fashion trends. Whether it be inspirational local fashion pieces from our home-grown designers or some of the more famous international brands. This is among the many reasons why the popularity of online clothing shopping in South Africa has majorly increased over the last few years.

There’s nothing easier than buying and checking out fashion online, all from the comfort of your own home! And with plenty of online clothing stores for you to get your fashion fix, there’s hardly any reason to go shopping at the malls anymore.

We’ve recently discovered a platform that takes buying clothes online to a whole new level. It’s online shopping like you’ve never seen it before.

Crate|Ov Clothes is South Africa’s first ever online ‘try before you buy’ clothing platform, exclusively for men.

It has been developed by men, for men. Our purpose is to incorporate the latest fashion trends with the convenience of online shopping. Whether you’re a board meeting kind of guy or an artistic individual, our fashion experts will have you looking your best, any day of the week.

Here’s what you get with your FREE sign up:

1. A crate filled with various clothing and accessory items
2. The chance to try on every item in the comfort of your own home
3. Keep what you like, return the rest
4. Zero delivery or return fees
5. Only get charged for what you keep

How it works:

Once you’ve registered on our site, you will need to complete a style quiz. This will let us know what styles and colours you prefer, what your sizes are, your budget and what kind of looks you’re just not that in to. You will also need to set a delivery date for your crate that’s convenient for you.

Once that’s all set up, you will be assigned a professional, personal stylist who will fill the crate with awesome stuff based on your style profile. The best part is, you will be able to chat to your stylist on WhatsApp or Messenger if ever you need some style tips or advice.

The courier will deliver your crate to your door. The cost is on us. You have 7 days to try the items on, change your mind a few times and then decide what you’re keeping and what you’re returning. The courier will then fetch the crate with the returned items. You will need to fill in a short feedback form to let us know what you liked and what you didn’t, mainly so that we can up our game when packing your next crate. Only then will you be charged for the items you’ve kept.

No busy shopping malls, no long queues, no tiny fitting rooms. How cool does that sound?

Visit our website today to register: https://crateovclothes.com/

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 0114654750

Local artisans and vendors wanting to sell their products and unique gifts in an online craft shop in South Africa are increasingly signing up with The Market Place.shop, who recently launched  their new-look website.

The Market Place.shop was founded in 2005 with the aim of providing a platform for South African artists, designers, home crafters etc. to sell their unique gifts and crafts online. It operates as an electronic based business on which people are presented with the opportunity to sell their goods or services as well as connect with a broader group of customers within their target market.

1. Their clientele consists of two types of people:
2. Individuals who are searching  unique gifts South Africa on the Internet 

 People who sell these items or offer those services within South Africa and wish to use our online craft shop as a network to do so.

We prefer to move away from the distribution of mass-produced goods that can be imported from the international markets and pride ourselves as being known to proudly support vendors and crafters in South Africa.

Our online craft shop is still in its early stage of initiating the electronic exchange of goods and services however, we currently offer a wide range of categories for potential vendors to list their products or services under. These are not limited to, but include:

• Handmade Clothing and Accessories
• Skincare
• Handcrafted Gifts
• Arts and Crafts
• Home Décor
• Eateries
• Men’s Gear

Our online shopping portal is best described as “a local farmers market on the web”. We strive to bridge the gap between the seller and any potential buyers that are using the internet as a tool for online shopping.  The organization has realized this gap when it comes to internet trading and aspires to create direct contact between the two parties with the use of an online craft shop. This ensures that possible buyers visiting our website can view products and connect directly with the local artisans and service providers that make use of our platform.

.By simply using the internet as a source for information, customers are granted complete access to search and find exactly what they are looking for. The Market Place online craft shop operates just as any other shopping website that you would find on the internet. Buyers can easily facilitate transactions, add items to the cart and successfully complete the checkout process all on our dedicated website.  On the other hand, the seller has the ability to convey important information such as prices and provide a useful short description about the items on sale without any hassle.

Looking ahead, our main objective is to be able to grant local businesses, that fit our company profile, the advantage of increasingly overwhelming traffic towards their small-scale business by simply using our website as a well-established online market.

If you would like to sell your products on a South African best online craft shop, why not create an account on our website today?  Alternatively, you could visit our online craft shop to search and find beautiful unique gifts proudly made in South Africa to present to family and friends this festive season

Let’s go back to 20 years ago. Would you ever have imagined that you would be able to one day make purchases online for things such as household items like blinds and shutters? Not to mention all the other crazy things you can now purchase from the comfort of your own home.

Online shopping is rapidly growing in South Africa and Blinds Direct is keeping up with this futuristic trend. By offering indoor and outdoor blinds and shutters, to anyone and everyone, who wants to purchase new blinds with just a few clicks of a mouse. These blinds are delivered nationwide and directly to your door, ready for you to install.

Blinds Direct has been online since 2013, launching our first online blinds store in September. Our website has grown substantially since the launch of the online store, that we decided to make our site mobile friendly in June 2015. This allowed more clients to easily access our full range of blinds, from the convenience of their phone.

With only the measurements of the window frame you wish to cover and the style of blinds you wish to purchase, we will have your brand new blinds delivered to your door in no time. Since increasing our online visibility and enhancing our customer’s online experience with us, we have seen great results and many happy clients. Online access really puts the world at your fingertips and takes away the limitations of location out of your business.

With Blinds Direct Blinds Builder we are able to custom make blinds to fit any window shape and any size. Our unique software allows us to convert your measurements and quote you immediately on what the blinds you are requesting will cost you. No more waiting in queues, no more inaccurate sizes, just plain and simple blinds delivered directly to your door.

At Blinds Direct we strive to keep up-to-date and current with all trending styles and materials, keeping our range of blinds and shutters unique and fresh. Can’t find the style you looking for? Send an example to us and we will source it and bring it in for you.

Shopping online is the future and it is here and available to you, making your life convenient and hassle free. Go to www.blindsdirect.co.za today for your free +instant quote! Start experiencing online shopping like you have never experienced it before.

Dropstore makes it easier to find products to sell online by connecting retailers to suppliers from across South Africa.

Experience convenient e-commerce trading with seamless integration, user-friendly design and advanced search functionality on Dropstore.

1 April 2019 - Dropstore is an inventory marketplace that makes finding quality products easier for online store owners to sell by sourcing straight from distributors and wholesalers to your website.

While dropshipping remains an extremely popular business model for new entrepreneurs, challenges may arise if store owners are not affiliated with trusted suppliers that can guarantee top quality and care with the handling of orders.

Dropstore lists verified suppliers that have a proven track record of providing the highest quality service for users over a sustained period.

Choose from various packages or get started right away with a basic package from as little as R399/month. With unlimited orders, daily product syncing, and pricing automation, experience the ease of e-commerce today.

Visit dropstore.co.za for more information.

Founded by Adewale Adejumo & Olufemi Baiyewu, Dropstore offers technology and integration that provides comprehensive solutions to South African Suppliers and Online Retailers.

If you would like more information on Dropstore, please contact us via:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Purchasing and playing a new or favorite video game in South Africa doesn't have to involve waiting for postal delivery or other headaches any longer. Online Shop Doodah has solved this problem now offering valued customers instant online game keys via email with purchase as a new option. 

November 22, 2018 

Gaming's popularity is on the rise in South Africa the market is worth an estimated R3.5 Billion in 2018 with this figure expected to increase to R6.1 Billion in the next four years according to Statista.com. Even so purchasing a new game can be quite inconvenient, when it comes to things like waiting for the game to be delivered, arriving at the store to find it's sold out and paying high retail prices associated with traditional brick-and-mortar outlets. 

The good news is South African-based computer, gadget and tech importer and online retail store, Doodah has recently launched a new service as a way around these issues. Doodah now offers the ability to order online and receive an email delivered game key that allows a game to be instantly unlocked. A huge amount of platforms are covered. 

“We are always thinking of ways to make our customer shopping experience more valuable, fun, and interesting,” commented a spokesperson from the company. “Trying to stay ahead of in tech space is a never ending pursuit, we have always tried to supply cutting edge wares which one might not be able to get their hands on easily in South Africa. This new service will definitely help in all of those important areas and we hope the people who order from us enjoy this new option.” 

According to Doodah, game keys for multiple platforms are available like Steam, Uplay, and Origin, to name just a few. Secure payment options include EFT and Card Payments through Payfast payments processor, also, Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin lightning network payments accepted through Coingate. 

The products offered all sourced from first-class, reputable sources like wholesale B2B distributors and vendors of PC, Xbox and PlayStation games, who all have great reputations. Doodah also offers laptops, tablets, phones, 3D Printers and cryptocurrency miners; gadgets and computer hardware; and other video gaming options. All at very attractive price points. 

Feedback from customers has been completely positive. Johan Vd., from Capetown, recently said in a five-star review, “I placed an order for a few different items from Doodah and they all showed up quickly in perfect condition. Plus I saved money compared to shopping locally, which I would have never been able to source these products locally! Totally recommended.” 

For more information be sure to visit https://doodah.co.za.

Cape Town, 25 October 2016 – Being a fashionista is never easy and can quickly get very expensive. But you don’t have to spend a million to feel like million: Luxity gives you a chance to sport a stylish Louis Vuitton handbag, a pair of luxurious Gucci sunglasses or some trendy Louboutin’s at affordable prices. This young and stylish start-up from Cape Town focuses on buying and selling used luxury goods that are still in excellent condition.

The Luxity online boutique provides access to some of the world’s most coveted brands, ranging from designer handbags, clutches, wallets and purses as well as other leather accessories, premium high heels and flats, high-end scarfs, luxury sunglasses and much more. “We pride ourselves on offering only 100% authentic luxury items, that are still in excellent condition. We take authentication extremely seriously at Luxity, and offer a full money back guarantee, should you ever prove we sold you a fake or counterfeit item,” explains Luke Calitz, Owner of Luxity. “Currently, women can select between a wide variety of pre-owned luxury items and the goal is to start building out the men’s division with watches, pens, belts and whatever else today’s fashion-forward man desires.” Luxity’s social media channels keep customers up to date on new arrivals which are all listed on their online boutique (www.luxity.co.za) where every item can be purchased with just a few simple clicks. “To ensure that everybody can afford luxury, we offer an interest free layby option where customers have the opportunity to pay their items off within two months in as many installments as they wish,” Luke explains further.

Luxity does not only cater to those with a desire to buy a gorgeous accessory, but also for everyone who wants to sell designer luxury goods. Whether it is to make space in their closet or because they have not worn a specific item in a long time. Luxity is always on the lookout for interesting items from a variety of brands in the luxury industry like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, CHANEL, Burberry, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. Luxity gives sellers the choice between an immediate cash buyout, a store credit, or the option to list an item on consignment.

Whether you’re looking to make a fashion statement at the next party, turn heads on the street or simply want to unclutter your closet, Luxity should be on your speed dial!