Groupon, Yuppiechef, Zando finalists at the SA eCommerce Awards

Hold the phone. The eighth annual South African eCommerce Awards has officially closed to public voting, and 20 finalists have been announced, offering a mix of boutique shopping experiences along with more seasoned players in the space.

In alphabetical order they are:

Hosted by uAfrica.com, the South African eCommerce Awards prides itself as recognising and rewarding South African websites that have “demonstrated excellence in their use of the internet as a platform for ecommerce.” We’re not quite sure how ecommerce functions off the internet.

The companies will now be put under assessment, including an evaluation of their ordering processes, customer service, design standards and ease of use. Award categories up for grabs include South Africa’s Favourite eCommerce website, Best eCommerce Website, Best eCommerce Mobile Website, Best Website Usability, Best Shopping Process and Best Customer Service. Luxury kitchenware store Yuppiechef has won the Best eCommerce Website category three years in a row, from 2010.

The winners of the 2013 edition will be announced at the South African eCommerce Conference held on 11 September at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The conference promises to focus on all aspects of ecommerce in relation to the South African market, and speakers include prominent figures such as Yuppiechef’s Paul Galatis and Google South Africa’s Luke McKend, amongst others.

“We are looking forward to the conference,’ states Andy Higgins, uAfrica.com MD. “The interest that has been shown, not only from industry leaders but also those looking to break into the ecommerce market, has exceeded our expectations. I have no doubt that everyone that attends will walk away having gained new insights and inspiration.”