How much do Dropshippers make in South Africa?

Dropshipping is currently one of the popular business models, especially amongst youngsters in 2024. The model consists of connecting suppliers with buyers through your business. Here, your business acts as a middleman, helping suppliers sell their products via your online platform to an audience you already know. Your profit? The middleman cut. Your supplier takes care of the order fulfilment, packaging and everything else. So, how do these dropshippers make in South Africa?

How much do Dropshippers make in South Africa?

If you devour the internet to find an exact answer, you may be confused. And rightfully so.

There are dropshipper gurus telling you how they found success just within a week or two. Then there are some humble personalities talking about how much a dropshipper can make. The problem is, if you are new in the dropshipping game, you get confused about whom to trust. Dropshipping is currently a trending business model, and when there's a trend, there are 'fake' gurus claiming to make some 'real' profit to accumulate views. Or worse, selling you a fake or mediocre course about dropshipping.

It all boils down to your best judgment on whom you want to trust or follow for advice.

Right, back to the burning question: how much do dropshippers make in South Africa?

From a realistic perspective, it would be safe to assume that dropshippers make about R5000 to R10000 a week in South Africa. Despite what gurus say—'dream big' and whatnot—it is important to keep your feet on the ground and set realistic goals. Of course, your goals may differ depending on the niche you select. For example, if you are selling in a popular and expensive niche, you should be expecting better profits.

If Dropshipping is so Profitable, then why doesn't everyone do it?

While we want to provide a realistic answer on how much dropshippers make in South Africa, the answer would not be complete without answering this question. Dropshipping, if done right, can be profitable. However, let's see what factors may prevent you from achieving that success.

Competition. Dropshipping is a trendy business model that focuses on selling trendy products. Usually, these trends emerge from either Instagram or TikTok, both being massively popular in South Africa. When there's a trendy product, there's a massive competition. And if you are not ahead of the competition, then you already lose the edge. A dropshipper, with some luck, is keen on identifying what would become the next trend and focuses on capitalising on it. On the contrary, finding a less competitive niche is also difficult as there are often products that have little to no demand in the market.

No Brand Identity. A dropshipping store is often a temporary brand that focuses on selling one to five top trendy products. For example, take a look at this dropshipping store selling a trendy product. This is what most of the dropshipping stores look like. Anyway, if you indulge in dropshipping as a business selling regular products, chances are your customers are going to ignore your business. The bottom line here is that getting that one chance to prove your dropshipping business is highly difficult due to competition and having no identity as a brand.

Lack of Customer Service. This is more of an aftersale service aspect, but also the most difficult one. As a dropshipper, you have no control over product quality or order fulfilment. This solely depends on the trust between your supplier and you. Finding a reliable supplier is important in case your customers have issues with your products; which is technically not your fault, but your customers are going to see it that way. This makes providing satisfying customer service tedious and nerve-wracking.

It's not all about the money, but most dropshippers fail to understand this. They are often under the impression that they will list certain products, advertise them on popular platforms, make sales, and... Profit! They look at this business model as an easy way of making money. But if you understand the problems above, you will understand the folly and naivety of this logic.

Final Words

So, is dropshipping really for you? This depends on how you decide to approach the dropshipping business model. And how does a dropshipper make in South Africa? As mentioned in the article above, it would be safe to assume an amount between R5000 to R10000 a week or a month. Do not expect quick profits and often consider being wary of online gurus telling you how they found 'golden eggs' just within 2-3 weeks of dropshipping. Dropshipping is not as easy as it sounds on paper and requires learning, proper research, and a proper customer service system. And like all businesses, you also need a little bit of luck to get the success you dream of.

In the next article, we will talk about some popular Dropshipping suppliers in South Africa.

On the other hand, if you aim to become a Takealot Seller in South Africa, Skill Space has an excellent Takealot Seller Course for you. The course provides in-depth and step-by-step practical knowledge on how you can successfully become a Takealot Seller in South Africa. The course is free for a limited time, so hurry up and take advantage of the offer!

If you have any further queries, please don't hesitate to connect with us via our website.