Amazon has made a significant change to its South African marketplace by ending its long-running free delivery promotion, marking a new phase in the company’s local expansion strategy.
South African customers who previously enjoyed free shipping on nearly all orders will now face stricter delivery conditions, while priority delivery fees have jumped sharply from just R2 to R90.
The updated policy means that only orders above R500 fulfilled directly by Amazon will continue to qualify for free standard delivery. Orders that do not meet the threshold will carry a standard shipping fee of R75.
The move comes two years after Amazon officially launched its South African marketplace on 7 May 2024.
Amazon shifts from aggressive growth strategy
When Amazon first entered South Africa, the company relied heavily on delivery incentives to attract customers in a highly competitive e-commerce market dominated by local players such as Takealot and Checkers Sixty60.
Initially, free shipping only applied to qualifying orders above R500, although first-time customers received complimentary delivery regardless of order size.
During the 2024 festive season, Amazon expanded the offer dramatically by introducing free shipping on all orders. The campaign proved successful enough for the company to extend the promotion well into 2025 as it sought to grow its customer base.
Amazon later introduced same-day and scheduled delivery services, allowing shoppers to choose specific delivery windows, including morning, afternoon, and evening slots.
Under the previous promotion, customers could upgrade to priority or same-day delivery for only R2. As of May 2026, that fee has increased to R90.
The pricing adjustment has fuelled speculation that Amazon could be preparing to introduce its Prime subscription service in South Africa, similar to the model used in the United States and other international markets.
However, Amazon declined to confirm whether a Prime launch is planned.
“We are constantly innovating and working hard to bring more value to our South African customers,” a company spokesperson said.
Marketplace growth accelerated during 2025
Although Amazon experienced a relatively cautious start after entering South Africa in 2024, its marketplace gained momentum throughout 2025.
Independent industry data suggested that order volumes surged during the year, particularly after the company expanded its free delivery offerings.
One of the clearest signs of Amazon’s growing presence came during Black Friday 2025, which the retailer described as its biggest sales event in South Africa to date.
Banking groups FNB and Discovery Bank both reported that Amazon ranked among the country’s top retailers by transaction value during the shopping period. Only Takealot and Checkers Sixty60 generated higher customer spending.
Discovery Bank data also showed that Amazon ranked fourth in transaction volume among its clients during the same period.
Additional analysis conducted by a MyBroadband forum member using delivery data from courier company The Courier Guy showed rapid month-on-month growth throughout 2025.
According to the figures, Amazon deliveries peaked at 223,695 orders in September 2025, while average daily orders in early October more than doubled compared to September volumes.
The data also indicated that Amazon maintained fast delivery turnaround times, with many parcels arriving either on the same day or the following day.
Earlier in 2026, Amazon also announced that it would not impose additional fuel surcharges on South African third-party sellers using its fulfilment network, despite rising fuel and logistics costs globally.
This contrasted with measures introduced in the United States and Canada, where the company implemented a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for sellers.
Industry analysts say Amazon’s latest delivery pricing changes may indicate that the company is becoming more confident in its South African customer base after two years of aggressive market expansion.
Source: MyBroadband, Amazon South Africa
