Instructions for your research project:

Study the Amazon case study provided below and conduct a feasibility study to be

presented to the Head Office Executive Management Team of Amazon (USA) at their

financial quarterly meeting, to be held on Friday 30 June 2023.

Amazon: Its role and expansion into Africa

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company that focuses on

e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming and artificial

intelligence.

Amazon has been labelled as one of the worlds most valuable brands, and through

effectively using cutting edge technology and innovations it has acquired the

reputation of being a disruptor of well-established industries globally and is the

worlds largest retailer outside China. It is also the second-largest private employer in

USA.

Amazon plans to launch its online marketplace and services in South Africa during

2023, for the benefit of the African continent as a whole. It is seeking to recruit

Account Managers to be based in Cape Town, whose responsibility it will be to

recruit sellers both in South Africa and the African continent as a whole. The team of

Account Managers will be tasked with assisting sellers reach customers on the

African continent, since to date Amazon does not have any marketplace customers

on the African continent.

This team of Account Managers will be headed by yourself, the Key New Accounts

Manager. Together with your team of Account Managers, it is your assigned

responsibility to recruit and launch online sellers onto Amazons marketplace and to

assist online sellers to both expand and grow their businesses through partnering

with Amazon and therefore improving the experiences of online customers both in

South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. Amazon is also seeking to

employ a Senior Retail Programme Manager whose task it would be to roll out

stores in new countries on the African continent.

As such, Amazon has no marketplaces anywhere on the African continent, but for

Amazon to establish a presence, the establishment of Amazon online malls in both South Africa and Nigeria (two of Africas largest markets) is both imperative and a

pre-requisite. Africa has the largest cohort of youths globally, and research has

shown that this cohort is extremely techno-savvy. Furthermore, Amazon believes

that Africa as a continent is well-positioned for growth, spurred by the increasingly

productive potential of its young population, their rapid adoption of technology, and

evolving consumer-behaviour trends.

Source: Business Insider 2022. Amazon which hasnt confirmed SA launch seeks help landing

South African sellers. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/amazon-seeks-south-african-

hires-to-recruit-sellers-on-its-marketplace-2022-9 [Accessed 12 October 2022]

Research Project Task:

Conduct a relevant feasibility study into the opportunities, benefits, challenges and

risks accrued by Amazon to expand its online presence, with the purpose of

incorporating the Enterprise Resource Package to provide an online shopping game

changer for both the South African and the African continent as a whole.

In addition, explain relevant solutions and recommendations for the various

challenges and risks, in terms of its technical, operational and economic feasibilities

(where necessary) that can occur through Amazon expanding its online presence

into South Africa and the African continent.

The feasibility study must adhere to the following format:

Feasibility Report:

1. Cover Page:

Must be on an official company document, stating the full name of the feasibility study.

You can design the relevant cover page for Amazon. (2 Marks)

2. Transmittal Letter:

To be addressed to the Head Office Executive Management Team of Amazon (USA),

since they have requested the completion of feasibility study. The transmittal letter is

sent separately to the Feasibility Report, but as a matter of courtesy, a copy of the

transmittal letter must be included in the Feasibility Report too. This letter emphasises the need for the feasibility study, and the full date of completion of the report. It

provides the background to the project, a reference to the purpose and it outlines the

procedures used to provide the necessary recommendations presented from the

feasibility study.

This letter must be presented in a professional layout, format and manner. (5 marks)

3. Table of Contents:

The sections of the feasibility report and corresponding pages should be provided in

the form of a professional table of contents. (2 Marks)

4. Executive Summary:

The task or problem at hand should be explained briefly together with the relevant

solutions. This is a brief overview of what the reader can expect to read in the

remainder of the report. (5 Marks)

5. Body [65 Marks]

Conduct a relevant feasibility study into the opportunities, benefits, challenges and

risks accrued by Amazon to expand its online presence, with the purpose of

incorporating the Enterprise Resource Package to provide an online shopping game

changer for both the South African and the African continent as a whole.

In addition, explain relevant solutions and recommendations for the various

challenges and risks, in terms of its technical, operational and economic feasibilities

(where necessary) that can occur through Amazon expanding its online presence

into South Africa and the African continent.

The relevant sections you should include in the body are provided below.

5.1 Introduction:

This includes a brief introduction, which is drawn from the purpose and background,

and explains the reasons why the study was conducted. (5 Marks)

5.2 Background:

An explanation of the issue/s to be investigated is provided, together with the reasons

why the investigation was conducted, and the content correlate with the purpose of

the report. (5 Marks)

5.3 Purpose:

The specific purpose of the feasibility report is required (for example, to address a

problem), so a statement of the problem is drawn up, accompanied by a brief

description thereof. (5 Marks)

5.4 Research: Opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks:

Discuss the opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks that Amazon may encounter

when expanding its online presence into South Africa and the African continent,

thereby providing an online shopping game changer. The analysis you use to discuss

this section should be appended to your report as support.

You are required to address the opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks that

Amazon may encounter in the following four (4) environments:

Socio-Cultural environment

Economic environment

Technological environment

Legal Environment (Trade barriers). (20 Marks)

5.5 Solutions and recommendations:

Explain relevant solutions and recommendations for the various opportunities,

benefits, challenges and risks, in terms of their technical, operational and economic

feasibilities (where necessary).

(15 Marks)

5.6 Enterprise Resource Package (ERP):

Discuss the ERP required by Amazon when expanding into South Africa and the

African continent, thereby providing an online game changer for the African

continent.

(15 Marks)

6. Conclusion:

Relevant conclusion together with necessary motivations are required. (8 Marks)

7. List of references: Harvard Method of Referencing MUST be used when citing ALL sources in the list of

references. Include in-text citations throughout your report as well. (10 Marks)

8. Appendices:

All appendices MUST be attached to the back of the feasibility report, following the list

of references. Remember to include your list of Appendices to your Table of Contents.

(3 Marks)