Online shopping: Must-have gadgets for Christmas

JOBURG - Crowded shopping malls, lack of available parking and elbowing other shoppers away from the product you spotted first could all but become a thing of the past with online shopping becoming increasingly popular.

December 21, 2015

1 minute read

Avish Bhogal of eGadgets.co.za, an online shopping portal dedicated to gadgets said, “Online shopping is not new to South Africa, but due to the limited internet access in the past, it was difficult to buy online. The internet is a lot more accessible now, through mobile smartphones, tablets, and various internet facilities around the country.”

Bhogal explained that the advantage of online shopping is that you have access to a wider range of products than you would find in a store. “Online shopping also saves you time and hassle, with a few clicks of your mouse you can have the product of your choice delivered to your home, office or directly to someone as a gift.

According to Bhogal, courier companies in South Africa have geared themselves up to manage deliveries from online stores, providing more efficient service and delivery times.

Bhogal mentioned that there has been a stigma attached to online payments using a debit or credit card. “There has been a stigma attached to online payments using a debit or credit card,” he said.

“South Africa is home to many online payment gateways, which have worked closely with various banks to ensure that the fraud rate is minimised.”

Bhogal suggested that online shoppers look at their web browser when logged onto an online shopping portal. “On your web browser you will notice ‘https’ as opposed to a standard website, which is ‘http’. The ‘s’ signifies a secure site. When doing a transaction on a website you are taken from an ‘http’ to ‘https’ to ensure the security of your information.

Ensure that the payment gateway is a secure site to avoid fraudulent activity,” he advised.

Bhogal’s list of top 10 must-have gadgets to give as gifts this Christmas are:

10. Parrot Flower Power (R299)

9. Skullcandy Hesh2 Orlando Pirates Edition (R499)

8. Cleansui filter water jugs (R199)

7. Body Glove cellphone cases (R199)

6. Mykronoz smart watches (R899)

5. Kitvision action camera (R799)

4. Leapfrog/Leappad educational tablets (R1 399)

3. Jabra sport pulse (R2 999)

2. Amazon Kindle Touch 2014 (R1 999)

1. TomTom runner sports watch (R1 799)