Amazon Egypt Now Open For Business

With its launch on September 1, Amazon Egypt became the e-commerce giant’s 20th global marketplace, while its new Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) logistics center in the country is the first of its kind in Africa.

Until now, the leading online shopping platform in Egypt was Souq.com, which Amazon had acquired for $580 million back in 2017. However, as witnessed with Souq stores in the United Arab Emirates in May 2019 and Saudi Arabia in June 2020, Amazon has completely rebranded the localized platform to fall in line with its internationally recognized user interface now operating as Amazon.eg.

Egypt is an emerging e-commerce market with approximately US$4 billion in annual trade, and trends over the last decade indicate that the market is expanding rapidly. Thus, Amazon sees now as the right time to establish a foothold in the country by putting down roots and growing its brand.

As part of the rebranding, Amazon has migrated all existing Souq accounts to its new platform, meaning its users will still have the same login details and information like payment credentials and delivery addresses; even their wish lists have been moved across. In addition, all the familiar product categories will be available on the new site, meaning Eqyptian shoppers will enjoy the same conveniences as those in other countries.

“Today marks a proud day for Souq.com and Amazon, a day we have been working toward since the two companies came together,” commented Omar Elsahy, Country Manager of Amazon Egypt. “Amazon.eg brings together Souq.com’s local know-how and Amazon’s global expertise, something we believe will be of significant value to customers across Egypt. We’re only getting started, and we will keep innovating in ways that are meaningful to our customers, as we remain laser-focused on providing them with exceptional service, fast delivery, and great prices and selection on millions of items.”

Amazon Egypt’s local competitors include Nigeria’s Jumia and the UAE’s Noon, and compared to other countries where Amazon operates, the Egyptian market is relatively small. However, when combined with the above-mentioned Amazon stores in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the region becomes rather lucrative. Plus, as is often the case, the early bird gets the worm, and sellers who get their foot in the door first will find considerably less competition than they are used to in markets like the U.S. and Europe, so you may want to brush up on your Arabic!

As of now, Prime isn’t available in Egypt, but all orders on Amazon.eg directly from Amazon or sellers using FBA over 350 EGP ($22), will qualify for free shipping. Nationwide delivery is said to take no more than 1-2 business days, while deliveries within the Cairo – Giza – Qalyubia metropolitan area only take 1 day.