24 Best Online Products to Sell in South Africa 2022
Over the last decade, online shopping has enriched many people, and leaders expect the industry to grow further. According to Statista, the e-commerce industry is worth R144 billion. They expect the industry to double in value by 2025. Knowing the best products to sell online is key to your success.
How do you see which products are trending?
Creating an online store is a great way to expand a business and ensure that you get a fair piece of the market as online sales grow year after year. You select when to begin, create your website, use marketplaces, or use online buying sites to establish your online store. In 2022, we expect online sales to reach R165 billion. To succeed as an online retailer, your store needs to sell products in demand. If your product is niched and you have a particular consumer in mind, then good for you. However, not every product sells quickly online due to the high competition. Having your online store allows you to sell your products in a way that most suits your business strategy.
The most trendy online shop ideas in South Africa for 2022 is as follows:
Apparel
They say looking good is good business. Clothing, apparel and footwear are the most popular items bought online globally. If your store offers free shipping or other promotions, you will see a surge in online sales. This sector has room for massive growth; despite the clothing market being a competitive niche.
Baby Products
Baby products are one of the top-selling products online in South Africa today. Most parents want to give their baby the best they can, and the grandparents are also part of the buying spree. Online shopping with delivery is essential, especially when there is some distance between the parties. The Covid pandemic also contributed to the increase in pregnancies worldwide, causing sales of these products to increase with high profitability.
Beauty Products
The term “beauty products” refers to objects individuals use to enhance their appearance. Macca root or Fenugreek have been sought after by consumers in recent years. Because the market is booming, you can expect some competition due to the high demand. With many females needing products to enhance their beauty, these products enjoy colossal patronage. As an online seller, you’re sure to have a lot of sales all year round. Cosmetic products are one of the highest trending products in South Africa. Most South African ladies cannot go without makeup, eyelashes and hair extensions. If you can fill this niche, you are sure on the right track.
Essential Oils
The list of best products to sell online would be incomplete if we did not include Essential Oils. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, spas and salons were temporarily closed, leaving individuals looking for self-care remedies that they could use at home. Essential oils are in high demand, and sales are increasing.
Furniture
Every home and office needs furniture. You can go for chairs, tables, beds, boards, etc. They all come in different sizes and for various purposes. To start selling furniture online, you need to be a manufacturer or a supplier. However, you can create a dropshipping business where your customers place orders and get your supplier to deliver to them.
Gaming
Recently, females are also embracing the act of gaming. A good number of people buy and play different kinds of games in the comfort of their homes. Due to the obsession and dedication to playing games, the business of video gaming is thriving well.
Health
Health products are always in demand. They say prevention is better than cure, adding to the supplement boom of the past two years. The need for these products cannot be overemphasised, especially among females between 18 – 40 in South Africa.
Hair Care Products
We expect the Hair Care market to increase by 5.7% in 2022. Shampoo, hair conditioner, hair colourant, and other options are available. The online distribution channel allows individuals to sell products with low marketing costs. You’re good to go if you can sell your products at a competitive price or if you address a specific problem like dry hair.
Home Decor
Home Decor is an excellent category for e-commerce in 2022. Numerous home decor ideas are popular to sell online, like LED lighting, rugs, storage items, etc. People prefer handcrafted items because they believe they have more sentimental value than factory-made home décor goods. Your hobby or creativity can inspire you to sell your designs.
Indoor Plants
Indoor plants cost between R20.00 and R1,200.00 and have huge profit margins. It could be the most profitable online store you can open, especially if you are the one who grows the plants yourself. Some vendors focus more on the pot than the plant to make their profits. It is another way to be creative!
Jewellery and Fashion Accessories
Jewellery is a great way to complement your favourite dress or suit. You don’t have to sell expensive jewellery as handmade and secondhand jewellery can be an excellent way to launch an online jewellery store. You can include trending fashion items and rotate them seasonally. This online concept has high growth potential and is almost sure to last. Searches for jewellery are at an all-time high on Google Trends. While many more stores offer jewellery online, there is still a significant gap in the market for affordable and minimalist jewellery ranges.
Kitchen Appliances
Popular kitchen equipment in SA includes air fryers, electric can openers, and pressure cookers. The list of other kitchen appliances to consider selling online is endless. You need to know what to sell and to whom. It is one of the highest demand products to sell online in South Africa. Every household in South Africa has more than one electronic appliance. Electronic products have a large market, and it is easily sellable. Top selling electronic brands in South Africa are Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Canon, etc.
Laptops and Gadgets
With most businesses going online, the demand for a computing set also increases. These days, a computer is gradually becoming indispensable in South Africa. Almost everyone needs a laptop, either for studies, business, communication or other things. Accessories such as keyboard, mouse, printer, flash drive, UPS, toner, laptop bag are also in demand.
Men’s grooming products
Men’s grooming is a multi-billion dollar industry, and the craze is catching on fast here in South Africa. From beard straighteners to beard oils, there’s a whole host of products in this category for today’s street savvy gent.
Nail Decoration
The cosmetics business in South Africa accounts for almost 20% of all internet sales, and nearly every item can sell. Nail Art is a popular category in the beauty business, with various products available. Over time, you can maintain your clientele since nails are decorated every month.
Neck Pillows
Neck pillows will continue to be trendy in 2022. Digital marketing skills are required to sell a considerable quantity. If you are new to digital marketing, seek a product with significant search volume.
Pet accessories
The pet care industry has grown in leap and bounds in South Africa, with many people searching online for unique ways to spoil their furbabies with the pawfect products. From cat-nip filled mice to dog beds, there are thousands of products in this space to play with.
Samsung Smartphones
Phones and accessories sales are fast-moving products in South Africa. It is the most lucrative product to sell online in South Africa. Samsung cell phones are in high demand as they are affordable and reliable. If you can find the smartphones at a lower price, you can have a competitive edge over other sellers. You can also sell phone accessories through your online store. In South Africa, both adults and teenagers like the flashy lifestyle of owning a mobile phone.
Shapewear
Shapewear is a trendy product with immense online market potential. Many people can use these products, no longer limited to gym-goers. There are various shapewear options for both men and women to consider; therefore, select more profitable items and have high sales projections. Form sculpting undergarments have always been a hit, but thanks to the intense pressure placed on women to look nothing less than perfect, shapewear is hitting its highest sales ever across the globe. What was once a necessary evil for a glam occasion is now a sexy item to be worn every day. It is one of the hot trending products to sell.
Skincare Products
South Africa’s skincare industry is worth R10 billion as of 2021, and we expect it to grow by 4.25% in 2022. Experts divide skincare products into two categories: face care and body care. Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Estee Lauder are the most dominant brands. If you want to start selling skincare products, sell those famous with customers so that you can sell them quickly. Otherwise, you can opt for niche skincare products that work as advertised.
Smartphone Accessories
Almost every cell phone will require accessories to function correctly or protect against erosion. Phone accessories such as chargers, screen guards, earphones, power banks, phone cases, memory cards and smartwatches are highly demanded. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can make by selling smartphone accessories online. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of money to get started because accessories are inexpensive.
Smart Watches
What started as a futuristic rage for the elite has spread worldwide, with a smartwatch on everyone’s shopping list these days. Statista predicts that over 141 million units will be sold in the coming year. The latest trends in smartwatches are Bluetooth devices that include a built-in camera, step counters and exercise apps, sound recorders, sleep monitors, calendars, etc. If you’re looking for a top-selling product, a smartwatch is it!
Stationery
Stationery is sought after all time of the year. There is always a demand for low-cost, high-quality stationery. Due to the wide variety of items that can be sold, selling stationery may need a significant initial investment. But you may handpick hot items and sell them in bulk. It would help if you had a reputable provider with high volume orders because the order value can be significant.
Wall Art
You must be creative when creating wall art. Wall art can create the atmosphere that one desires or wishes to have in their home or office. Everyone wants their house to feel like a home, and wall art can help them achieve this.
Allow customers to select the type of art they want, whether it’s wallpaper, drawings, or other types of wall art. It is essential to prioritise size; to allow customers to select art size on adjustable items.
Marketing Tips
Finding excellent products to sell is only one part of the equation. While these products and others are bound to drive a surge in sales, your marketing campaigns have to be equally as good.
To turn these items into top-selling products in your store, consider using a mix of sales tactics. These could be anything from Google ads to targeting keywords with high purchase intent, SEO enriched content, and instructional videos using the education that solves everyday problems. One of the best ways to acquire all of the above is by registering and subscribing to companies like OWEB. It is pretty affordable, especially for start-ups and products are featured at the same level as big brands.
Visual content for Facebook ads, Instagram, and Pinterest works well for today’s target audiences, so make sure you cover all bases. Working with local influencers directly on Instagram could be another lucrative channel for sales. Competing with hot-seasonal items can be expensive, so make sure you time your product launches well.