The global eCommerce and technology leader, Amazon, is actively recruiting in South Africa, aiming to fill a variety of roles spanning marketing, support, and technical fields.
A Two-Decade Presence in South Africa
Amazon’s roots in South Africa date back two decades. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as an online bookstore, Amazon established a significant milestone in the country in 2004 when Amazon Web Services (AWS) inaugurated a development center in Cape Town. This initiative was led by Chris Pinkham, a South African entrepreneur known for launching the country’s first commercial ISP, The Internetworking Company of Southern Africa (Ticsa), in 1993.
Inception of Amazon’s South African Operations
The inception of Amazon’s South African operations began with Pinkham and his colleague Benjamin Black, who, in late 2003, authored an internal paper outlining a new vision for Amazon’s retail computing infrastructure. Following the approval of their proposal, Pinkham returned to South Africa to recruit a team of engineers from Cape Town to embark on the project. “By late 2004 or early 2005, we had our first engineers working in the Constantia area in Cape Town,” Pinkham recounted. This team was instrumental in the development of Amazon’s EC2 service.
Expansion and Development
Amazon expanded its local footprint in 2010 by opening a customer service division in Cape Town, which now boasts a workforce of thousands. In 2015, AWS established an office in Johannesburg, and in 2017, the Amazon Global Network extended its reach into Africa with AWS Direct Connect.
A significant milestone occurred in April 2020 when AWS announced the launch of its Cape Town region, a development that was met with enthusiasm by South African developers and businesses due to the promise of low-latency access to AWS services and cloud applications.
Launch of Amazon South Africa’s Online Marketplace
For a long time, Amazon’s South African operations were predominantly centered around AWS and its technical services. However, in May 2024, this focus broadened with the launch of Amazon South Africa’s online marketplace, offering a wide array of products to local consumers. This move provided shoppers with the convenience of home delivery or the option to collect their purchases from one of the 3,000 pickup points across the country.
To support its growing marketplace and ensure efficient delivery and logistics, Amazon has forged partnerships with local companies Pargo and The Courier Guy. This expansion marks a new chapter for Amazon in South Africa, as it continues to build on its long-standing history and commitment to the region.
Current Job Opportunities
Amazon is actively expanding its workforce in South Africa and is currently seeking to fill over 100 positions across the country. The tech giant has job openings for 98 individuals in Cape Town, 10 in Waterfall, Gauteng, 3 in Johannesburg, and 3 in Craigieburn. The roles on offer cover a broad spectrum, from support agents tasked with assisting international Kindle customers to technical experts who will contribute to the development of Amazon’s web services products.
Breakdown of Available Positions
The breakdown of available positions includes:
- 32 in operations, IT, and support engineering
- 18 in software development
- 15 in project and product management
- 8 in customer service
- 7 in procurement, planning, and inventory management
- 5 in the marketing sector
Amazon’s job vacancies extend to a variety of other domains such as sales, advertising, human resources, administrative support, and research science.
Retail Division Hiring
Within its newly established retail division in South Africa, Amazon is looking to hire 16 individuals based in Cape Town. These roles encompass a brand manager, marketing managers, programme managers, product managers, a retail associate vendor manager, and vendor managers.
Amazon’s continued expansion in South Africa signifies its commitment to the region and its intent to further integrate into the local market, offering a plethora of job opportunities and enhancing the local economy.
How to apply
South Africans who wish to apply for Amazon jobs in South Africa should visit the company’s career website and apply online.