Hamburg, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/14/2012 -- In December 2011, South Africa was the fifth largest nation in Africa in terms of Internet users, with Nigeria at the top of the list. In line with this trend, the use of social media has become a significant activity among Internet users in 2011, with the MXit website recording the highest number of registered users.

Air tickets a major factor in South African B2C E-Commerce
According to the "South Africa B2C E-Commerce Report 2012" by yStats.com, B2C E-Commerce is expected to become even more popular in South Africa in 2012, spurred by the increased use of smartphones and the consequent higher Internet penetration. B2C E-Commerce revenue increased from 2010 to 2011 by almost one third, with more and more Internet users making purchases online. One of the most successful categories was “Air Tickets”, generating more than two thirds of all online revenue in 2011. In the same year, more than ten percent of all mobile Internet users in South Africa shopped online using their mobile phones. This trend can be attributed mainly to the growing acceptance of mobile payment options.

Groupon also highly successful in South Africa
As shown in the yStats.com "South Africa B2C E-Commerce Report 2012", more than 70 percent of all Internet users in South Africa researched product information online in the period between October 2010 and October 2011 – this was particularly true for men. Concerns about the safety of online shopping have also continued to decrease among Internet users between 2009 and 2011. In 2011, Kalahari was the most popular online shop in South Africa, followed by Amazon and Bid-or-Buy. Groupon had the largest market share among all group buying websites in South Africa in 2011, followed by Wicount.

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yStats.com has been committed to research up-to-date, objective and demand-based data on markets and competitors for top managers from various industries since 2005. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the firm has a strong international focus and is specialized in secondary market research. In addition to offering reports on markets and competitors, yStats.com also carries out client-specific research. Clients include leading global enterprises from various industries including B2C E-Commerce, electronic payment systems, mail order and direct marketing, logistics, as well as banking and consulting.