South Africans are embracing AI to transform how they shop online, but trust at checkout remains low
South Africans are embracing AI to transform how they shop online. Picture: iStock
South Africans are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how they shop online, but a new study warned that trust at checkout – not convenience – will ultimately decide the future of digital commerce.
Visa released the annual Stay Secure study in South Africa, which assesses consumer awareness and behaviours around digital commerce and fraud.
AI shopping
This year’s edition, conducted by Wakefield Research, highlights how AI‑enabled shopping and social commerce are changing consumer behaviour even as expectations around trust and protection remain firmly in place.
According to the study, South Africans are embracing AI in their shopping journeys, with 77% already using tools to compare prices, check reviews or find gift ideas – and 92% saying technology makes online shopping “faster and easier than before”.
Trust
Yet trust remains the sticking point: only 23% would allow AI to complete checkout, underscoring that confidence and security will define the next phase of digital commerce.
The study reveals that social commerce is booming, with 60% buying directly through platforms, but fraud risks are rising – 37% experienced scams in the past year, more than half on social media.
Children are also increasingly exposed, with 73% struggling to recognise scams and 52% falling victim while gaming or shopping online.
Fraud
When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves.
The study shows that 52% believe banks or financial institutions should be primarily responsible, followed by payment providers (35%) and retailers or online stores (28%). Only 13% believe consumers themselves should hold primary responsibility.
Irene Auma, Visa’s regional head of fraud risk management for Sub‑Saharan Africa, said consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments and payment providers to take the lead.
Auma said as commerce moves toward more agentic, AI‑powered experiences, consumers are embracing convenience but “remain cautious when it comes to AI completing purchases”.
