082 696 7749
[gtranslate]
SA entrepreneurs are building successful online stores from home — no shop lease, no staff, no stock in some cases. Here’s exactly how to do it: choosing your model, setting up your store, accepting SA payments, finding suppliers, and getting SA customers to buy.
You buy products at wholesale, store them at home or in a small warehouse, and ship to SA customers when they order. Best margin control; most work.
You list products online but never hold stock. When a customer orders, you purchase from a supplier who ships directly to them. Can work from SA using local or international suppliers.
Upload designs to SA products (t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, notebooks) and a supplier prints and ships per order. Zero stock. Works well for SA creatives and niche brand builders.
Sell downloadable products — ebooks, templates, Lightroom presets, training materials, software. Zero fulfilment cost; instant delivery. Highest margin model for SA sellers.
| Gateway | What It Accepts | SA Cost |
|---|---|---|
| PayFast | Credit/debit cards, EFT, SnapScan, Mobicred, lay-bys | 3.5% + R2 per transaction |
| Peach Payments | Cards, EFT, Apple/Google Pay | 2.5–3.5% per transaction |
| Yoco | Cards and QR payments | 2.95% per transaction |
| Stripe (USD) | International cards (for selling globally) | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| PayPal | International buyers; limited SA local use | 3.4–4.4% per transaction |
Marketing your SA online store: The biggest mistake SA online store owners make is building before they have customers. Before spending R20,000 on a store, validate demand: post product photos on Instagram, sell in Facebook Marketplace, or list on Takealot to test whether SA customers actually buy your product at your price. Build your store after you’ve proved the product sells.
Live 1-on-1 online training in digital marketing, eCommerce, and web development for SA entrepreneurs. Build the skills to grow your SA online store. Start anytime.
Get an Instant QuoteCayden Godsell 15 September 2026 I just finished the Web and Software Engineer Master course, and its been a great experience. The online learning worked much better than i previously thought it would and the lessons with James were easy to understand, well structured and engaging. Would definitely recommend! Johandri Rossouw 23 July 2026 had an excellent experience with the School of IT. My lecturer was friendly, professional, and always willing to help. Communication was clear, classes were well organized, and I learned a lot throughout the course. I highly recommend the School of IT to anyone looking for quality online training. Thank you for a great learning experience! Tlotlego Lehabe 30 April 2026 I've had a wonderful lesson with full 1 on 1 lessons which gave me confidence in my career Nandipha Mpongoshe 22 April 2026 I had a great experience studying the Microsoft Azure Data Analysis course at School of IT. The course was well-structured and practical, with a strong focus on real-world application using tools like Power BI and Azure.
The instructors were knowledgeable and supportive, making complex concepts easy to understand. This course has significantly strengthened my data analysis skills and confidence in working with cloud-based solutions. Highly recommended for anyone looking to upskill in data analytics. Mikhe Bezuidenhout 23 January 2026 I found the content and course material very useful and user friendly. My lecturer did an outstanding presentation of the course contents. Can definitely highly recommend School of IT Michael Duvenhage 21 January 2026 The first Cybersecurity course was an excellent introduction to Cybersecurity and was explained properly. Danyella Camarena 4 January 2026 Had the most wonderful experience here! I learnt so much with my graphic design masterclass course - Carmel is wonderful and is an amazing teacher. 100% recommend!!!!!!!!!! Chantal Hamman 27 November 2025 I did the SQL Administrator Master Course through The School of IT in August 2025 and successfully completed my Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate exam with the help of the incredible team. Online sessions were scheduled to fit in with my available hours, as I'm working full time and the lecturers were amazing. Always available to assist and answer questions. Shaun assisted me with the preparation of the exam with the all the online learning material and manuals that I needed. I can definitely recommend School of IT!
Chantal Hamman Christof Van Niekerk 26 September 2025 I completed the Solid Works CAD design associate course, the course was well structured and able to accommodate my schedule.Excellent ★★★★★4.9 out of 5 · 227+ Google reviewsC
★★★★★J
★★★★★T★★★★★N★★★★★M
★★★★★M★★★★★D
★★★★★C★★★★★C★★★★★
Every lesson is a live call on MS Teams or Google Meet. You see your lecturer, they see you, and you both share screens, so you're doing the work, not just listening.
