, April 24 -- Asian retailers such as Shein and Temu are upending segments of the e-commerce market, rapidly grabbing market share and increasing pricing pressure on traditional retailers. Amazon's much anticipated entrance into the South African market is expected to further turn up the heat - potentially creating a new benchmark for customer experience.

Yet if we look at the experiences of other emerging markets, the disruption may only just be beginning. Barriers to entry for new players in the e-commerce channel are relatively low, creating space for more competition. It would be unsurprising, for example, for brands in segments like tech, durables and clothing to go direct to consumer with e-commerce.

This is akin to developments i...