Amazon adds image-based shopping as it deepens African expansion

Amazon has rolled out its AI-powered Amazon Lens feature in South Africa, allowing shoppers to search using images and barcodes as the company deepens its push to dominate Africa’s fast-growing e-commerce market.

By Nhlanhla Muthe

Robert Koen, Amazon’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, says the rollout of Amazon Lens in South Africa reflects the company’s focus on using artificial intelligence to simplify online shopping and strengthen its long-term e-commerce strategy across the continent.

Amazon has unveiled image-based shopping for South African customers, rolling out its Amazon Lens feature as part of a broader push to reshape online retail on the continent and intensify competition with Takealot, Temu and Shein.

The new feature allows shoppers to search for products using photos, screenshots or barcodes instead of typing text. Available through the Amazon Shopping app, Amazon Lens uses computer vision and machine learning to identify products or visually similar alternatives from an uploaded image. Amazon says tens of millions of customers globally already use the tool each month.

“We continue to innovate to help customers quickly find products without becoming experts in product terminology,” said Robert Koen, Amazon’s Managing Director for sub-Saharan Africa. “Amazon Lens removes friction from the shopping journey and makes discovery more intuitive.”

Users can upload an image from their phone, take a photo within the app or scan a barcode to instantly pull up matching products. A “circle to search” function allows shoppers to isolate a specific item within a crowded image, while barcode scanning makes it easier to compare prices or reorder frequently purchased items.

The launch comes just over a year after Amazon entered South Africa with its .co.za marketplace and follows a rapid expansion of product categories. The e-commerce giant has added groceries, pet food, vitamins and health supplements, positioning itself as a serious rival to Takealot while countering the surge of ultra-cheap imports from Chinese platforms such as Temu and Shein.

Koen said customer demand has driven the expansion. “Groceries, pet supplies and health supplements have consistently ranked among the top requests from South African customers,” he said. Early data shows strong sales in everyday staples such as coffee, cereals, pasta and canned foods, alongside premium pet nutrition and sports supplements.

Amazon’s catalogue blends global brands like Nestlé, Red Bull and Starbucks with local favourites including Simba, Beacon and Koo. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in local sellers through initiatives such as its ‘Shop Mzansi’ storefront, which showcases more than 160 South African brands, and a recent Seller Summit hosted in Cape Town.

More than 60% of Amazon’s global sales come from independent sellers, most of them small and medium-sized businesses, a model the company hopes to replicate across Africa. With South Africa’s online retail market expected to exceed $6 billion (R100 billion) by 2026, Amazon’s combination of AI-powered shopping tools, expanded essentials and local partnerships signals a long-term play to dominate Africa’s next phase of e-commerce growth.