How AI and data are shaping e-commerce, delivery as a service

Source: Emmanuel Kalunga, Bizcommunity, 28 January 2022, photo credit: 123RF/peshkov

The past two years have been immense for e-commerce around the world. In 2020, global e-commerce sales reached $26.7tn, making up 19% of all retail sales. While that growth may have evened out a little in 2021, there were still double-digit increases in online sales.

In South Africa, meanwhile, research from WorldWideWorx shows that online retail grew 66% in 2020 and was expected to hit R42bn in 2021. It also now accounts for more than double the percentage of total retail sales it did in 2018.

But even as the e-commerce space celebrates these victories, it must look forward. Understanding the trends and innovations driving the sector will be critical for any players looking to survive and thrive going forward. This is particularly true for the delivery as a service (DaaS) segment of the sector.

DaaS is a service-oriented delivery and business processes in line with customer expectations and needs in the on-demand economy. In South Africa, most e-commerce businesses have traditionally owned their delivery services as part of their logistics, and others rely on delivery service providers who are traditional logistic companies and not always equipped for the on-demand economy.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.