How to Start a Dropshipping Business in South Africa

Dropshipping has been proven to be one of the most efficient business models for those with limited financial support or those who want a more passive income while selling goods online. There are lots of different barriers to entry when you’re working with eCommerce, but these are disappearing.

In South Africa, there is a lot of growth in this area. For instance, in 2020, dropshipping orders grew at a rate of 10.1%. This is great growth for the business.

Dropshipping is also very cost-effective. There is no need to keep products in stock, you only make stock purchases when you have sold products. Therefore, when you use sites like Shopify to build a dropshipping website, you can really keep the costs of your business down.

In addition, you can see how products are going to perform, without having to take risks on the products being bought by you and being left with a lot of useless stock and a massive hole in your business’ budget.

Starting a dropshipping business in South Africa is very similar to other eCommerce enterprises. There are some things that you have to focus on and some tools that can help you. It is highly recommended that you use Shopify to help you get started, not only can you benefit from a 14-day trial, but it is simple to use and has lots of growth potential.

So here are some steps that you need to take:

The first thing that you need to do is to find the niche that you want to work in. There are numerous ways to find a niche and these can be things that you’re passionate about or you can follow in-demand products with high-profit margins. The choice is completely yours. There are also options to be a certain type of store based on price.

Now you need to buy a domain, get hosting on Shopify and then build your website. A website on Shopify can be built in a day with their easy to use customer themes that can range from simple to more complex. All themes can be customized with new colors, text, images and videos created and uploaded within minutes.

Then using an app like Oberlo, you can find products on the platform and import them into your website. Be sure to find products that will offer the best returns and what customers want. Look at reviews and the number of units that have been sold until then. This can help you find the top products on the best sites.