E-Commerce Evolution 2026 Day 1

Harnessing LLMs & sentiment-aware systems to understand real customer needs. Dynamic pricing & offers based on real-time behavior and demand. Cross-device personalisation across mobile, app, and social channels. Balancing personalisation with ethics, privacy, and trust.

Shoppable posts & in-app checkout (Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp). Live streaming events: product demos, flash deals & interactive Q&As. Micro-influencers & user-generated content as authenticity drivers. Measuring ROI of social commerce vs traditional retail channels.

Richard Eberlein

BNPL, instalment options & the rise of digital wallets. Embedded payments in social apps & marketplaces. Driving financial inclusion for underbanked populations. Security, fraud prevention & regulatory compliance.

Faster deliveries via micro-warehousing & pickup points. Robotics, automation & drones in fulfilment. Green logistics: EV fleets, optimised routing, carbon reduction. Tackling township & rural delivery challenges.

Brendan McNulty

Designing for low data usage & slow networks. One-click checkout to fight cart abandonment. Localisation in language, payments & cultural UX. Accessibility for differently abled & multilingual audiences.

Voice commerce through assistants & voice search optimisation. Visual search & AR “try before you buy” solutions. Chatbots & AI agents for customer experience. Multilingual conversational commerce in diverse markets.

Matthew Leppan

Marketplaces as SME growth accelerators. Trust & governance: tackling counterfeit & low-quality goods. Cross-border e-commerce & customs challenges. Hybrid models: own brand vs marketplace selling.

SA & Africa’s digital regulation landscape (POPIA, taxation, customs). Consumer rights: returns, refunds & transparency. Building trust via reviews, safe payments & dispute resolution. Global best practices adapted to African realities.

Eco-friendly packaging & carbon-neutral delivery. Circular commerce: resale, recycling & reverse logistics. Ethical sourcing & showcasing local artisanal products. Consumer expectations & sustainability as a differentiator.

Virtual showrooms & immersive commerce experiences. AR for fashion, décor, and beauty trials. Gamification & loyalty in digital environments. Infrastructure needs & ROI for SA’s market.