Covid-19 has catapulted eCommerce into a new stratosphere in South Africa. While it was already growing at an exponential rate, eCommerce has now cemented its place in the new world of retail. “The monumental shifts we are seeing around the world as a result of the coronavirus have proved a game changer for the eCommerce sector. With businesses struggling, eCommerce could be the solution for them.” So says Warrick Kernes, award-winning online entrepreneur, founder of the Insaka eCommerce Academy and Director of the eCommerce Forum Africa.

Now, hot on the heels of government's announcement that online retailers are free to sell anything — bar alcohol and cigarettes — under Level 4, comes the biggest event in South Africa’s eCommerce history. Insaka has partnered with PayFast and other leaders in the eCommerce space to boost the potential offered by the eCommerce boom through the PayFast eCommerce Virtual Summit. 100% free and entirely online, the Summit is happening from 25-28 May 2020. The event will bring together over 30 leading eCommerce experts and business leaders.

Aside from Kernes himself, who will speak on how to find a winning product to sell online, Andy Higgens, Founder of Bidorbuy and uAfrica will share his five pillars of eCommerce success. “I’m looking forward to talking about selling across multiple sales channels during the time of Covid-19, which might just be the catalyst needed for eCommerce to reach its full potential in South Africa,” says Higgins.

Jonathan Smit, MD of PayFast will discuss the arrival of the digital revolution. “Despite the havoc that South African businesses have experienced over the past few weeks, one advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic is that digital transformation has arguably been accelerated by three to five years,” he says. “The PayFast eCommerce Virtual Summit could not be better timed for local business owners who through this event will gain access to a wealth of insights and advice from top speakers on how to succeed in a digital economy.”

Co-founder and CEO of Yuppiechef, Andrew Smith is looking forward to sharing the inspirational Yuppiechef story. “We too had many challenges which, at the time, seemed insurmountable,” he says. “Yet, just getting started and tackling one challenge at a time helped us to achieve more than we ever imagined.”

Other celebrated speakers include:

• Erich Essmann, Head of Marketplace Sellers at , on how to make the most of selling on Takealot,
• Elisa Petrella, International Expansion at Shopify, on how entrepreneurs can use Shopify to start their business,
• Jason Sive, CEO of Mobicred, on what SA eCommerce will look like beyond Covid-19,
• Ryan Bacher, MD of Netflorist, on the Netflorist story,
• Arthur Goldstuck, MD of WorldWideWorx, decoding online retail in South Africa,
• Donald Valoyi, CEO of Zulzi, on how to get last miledelivery right when no one else can.

To book your free ticket visit www.insaka.co.za/summit