South African e-commerce received a boost last week with the local introduction of international online payment system PayPal, courtesy of First National Bank. However it already seems to have its restrictions, as usage is solely available to FNB account holders. Although the big deal about PayPal is the ability to make and receive international payments quickly and easily, I was surprised to see that no local online shopping sites were included in the launch. Having quickly scouted out SA's popular e-commerce sites, Kalahari.net, Netflorist, BidorBuy and Springleap, none appear to be sporting the new PayPal option. Call it slow integration, call it oversight, but as an avid online shopper, I would've expected that such an internationally renowned brand would launch with the support of our big industry players. Perhaps it would help South Africans feel more secure about making online purchases.

Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor
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