What is Alibaba?
Founded in 1999, Alibaba Group refers to the parent company of Alibaba.com. Headquartered in Hangzhou, China, it comprises many well-known companies, such as Taobao, Tmall, Alipay, AliExpress, and of course, Alibaba.com.
With these businesses and more under the Alibaba Group umbrella, the company is among the world’s largest e-commerce giants.
What’s interesting about the Alibaba Group sites is that they cover nearly every step of online trading. Because of this, the company is at the forefront of not only e-commerce, but finance, logistics, and artificial intelligence. Now, let’s get into where Alibaba.com fits into all this.
Where Can I Find Alibaba In South Africa?
Can I buy from Alibaba in South Africa?
This can be a bit tricky, but it is manageable with the right information and preparation. The first thing you will need to do is to obtain an import permit.
This document is issued by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and is required for all imports into South Africa.
Does Alibaba have offices in South Africa?
There will be two zones, or Alibaba datacentres, in the South Africa region. One will be in BCX’s Midrand datacentre, and the other will be in Teraco’s colo building in Isando. It’s also envisaged that a Cape Town zone will come on stream sometime next year.
How do I pay on Alibaba from South Africa?
Payment through Alibaba’s website cash register, email, etc., supports multiple payment channels such as T/T, credit card, Online Bank Payment, Boleto, Western Union, Online Transfer, Paypal, Applepay, L/C, D/P, etc. Enjoy one-click online payment without leaving home.
Do I need import license to buy from Alibaba in South Africa?
While permits are generally not required unless you’re importing restricted goods, you will be asked for certain information about your shipment when going through customs.