Amazon said that registrations for its Prime subscription in South Africa have exceeded expectations in the first three months since launch.
Amazon.co.za rolled out the local version of its bundled subscription service on 3 June 2025, with a monthly price of R59 or an annual price of R399.
The service offers users unlimited free deliveries, including same-day and next-day options, for thousands of products in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria.
Users also get access to Amazon’s Prime Video streaming subscription services and several gaming benefits, including one Twitch subscription and free claimable games.
Amazon said that it was thrilled with the early response from South African customers to the subscription service.
“Signups have exceeded our expectations and membership continues to grow as customers discover the savings, convenience, and entertainment benefits that Prime provides,” Amazon said.
“Prime is savings, convenience, and entertainment all in a single membership, and that’s what makes it such an incredible value.”
Amazon said that Prime members tended to be its most engaged customers. “Worldwide, they shop more frequently and spend more than non-Prime customers,” it explained.
Members engage deeply across all benefits, including using exclusive discounts and deals like Amazon.co.za’s Super Saver Week.
“Prime members have told us they love the freedom to order what you need, when you need it, even if it’s just a tube of toothpaste, with the unlimited free and fast delivery,” it said.
The company said that its first-ever Prime Day was an important milestone, but it was “just getting started.”
Amazon.co.za’s primary e-commerce competitor, Takealot.com, also offers a delivery-focused subscription service called TakealotMore.
It comes in two tiers: a Basic plan for R39 per month and a Premium option for R99 per month. That service has contributed immensely to Takealot.com’s revenue.
The table below compares the online shopping subscription services available from Amazon and Takealot in South Africa.
FeatureAmazon PrimeTakealotMORE StandardTakealotMORE Premium
Free Trial
30 days30 days30 days
Shopping benefits
Unlimited free same-day and next-day delivery with no minimum spendUnlimited next-day delivery and collections with a minimum R500 spend per orderUnlimited same-day and next-day delivery and collections with no minimum spend
Same-day delivery requirements
Must be placed before midday
Only available in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria for in-stock itemsMust be placed before 10:00 AM
Only available in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria for in-stock itemsMust be placed before 10:00 AM
Only available in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria for in-stock items
Bulky/Heavy Items
Included if Prime-eligibleStandard delivery price only10 free deliveries per month
Free on-demand benefits
None3 Mr D restaurant shop deliveries with minimum R150 spend
3 Pick n Pay Grocery deliveries with minimum R350 spendUnlimited free Mr D deliveries with no minimum spend
Streaming and media
Prime Video includedNoneNews24 subscription included
Gaming
Amazon Luna cloud gaming and Twitch perksNoneNone
Price
R59 per month
R399 per year
R39 per month
R99 per month
Amazon also provided MyBroadband with an update on its top-selling products so far this year. These were primarily from its Everyday Essentials category.
Items like toilet paper, orange squash, dishwashing liquid, fabric softener, washing powder, mayonnaise, and toothpaste were the leading sellers.
MyBroadband has frequently found that prices on these items are significantly lower than at established brick-and-mortar grocery stores.
Amazon said that customers were increasingly seeing the value of getting their household essentials on the marketplace.
Even so, traditional electronics and other high-ticket items also remained popular, as evidenced by the top-performing categories in the year-to-date:
Amazon said the most expensive item sold on its marketplace in the year-to-date was a laptop. It did not provide more specific details about the model or price.
When MyBroadband checked the marketplace, the most expensive laptop was an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G17 at R97,039.
The cheapest item purchased this year was an unspecified lever arch file. At the time of publication, the lowest price on this product on Amazon was R24.47.
