If you’re a South African brand owner watching Amazon from the sidelines, this is your nudge: the cost/benefit window is unusually good right now in SA, while the US is tightening the screws on inbound logistics + unit economics.
1) Amazon South Africa: incentives are doing the heavy lifting (use them)
Amazon.co.za is still in “land grab” mode, which means seller incentives. That matters because it changes your margin math and your risk.
The 3 SA moves I’d act on immediately
A) Referral fee promo = margin oxygen
Amazon SA is running a flat 5% referral fee promo (you’ll see it referenced on their selling fees overview).
B) Professional plan promo is basically free
They’re offering a R1/month Professional account as a limited-time promotion (instead of the usual higher monthly fee).
C) FBA incentives in SA are wild (for now)
If you can make FBA work, the current incentives include 90% off inbound, 5% referral fees on FBA items, zero storage fees, and zero pick & pack fees (per the SA fee page incentives section).
And the partnered carrier programme promo (via 2Ship) also references the 90% inbound discount with an end date in the fine print.
Jungle Media take:
This is a perfect moment to treat Amazon SA as a local validation engine:
prove demand + price point
tighten your images, bullets, and operations
then scale the winning SKU(s) into the US with confidence
2) Amazon USA: 2026 is a “unit economics + logistics discipline” year
If you sell (or plan to sell) in the US, don’t sleepwalk into 2026. The big theme: fees are shifting and inbound placement costs are getting more real.
What’s trending on the US side
A) US fee updates for 2026
Amazon has published its U.S. referral + FBA fee update for 2026 and frames the changes as modest on average.
B) Inbound Placement Service Fee increases from Jan 15, 2026
Shipment plans created on/after Jan 15, 2026 face higher inbound placement service fees (standard-size up on average).
C) Non-peak fulfillment rates return (with changes) from Jan 15, 2026
Amazon’s 2026 fulfillment fee documentation notes changes effective Jan 15, 2026 as fees revert to non-peak rates.
Jungle Media take:
In 2026, you win US Amazon by being boring and precise:
know your landed cost
assume fees + inbound placement will punish sloppy shipping plans
build listings that convert (because you can’t “ads” your way out of bad unit economics forever)
3) Trend you can’t ignore: Amazon shoppers are asking AI to choose for them
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant Rufus is being pushed harder, with more “shopping by use-case” behavior (not just keywords).
At the same time, Amazon is encouraging sellers to use AI tools for listing creation (image-to-listing / description-to-listing).
What this means for your listings (practically):
Your bullets must answer real questions (“Is this safe for X?”, “What’s the difference between A and B?”, “How long does it last?”)
Add use-cases and comparison language (Rufus thrives on this)
Your images must “explain” (ingredient callouts, sizing, what’s included, outcomes)
4) Case File: “Brand Registry Declined” — what actually went wrong
We recently had a client’s Brand Registry application declined. Classic situation: the brand thought they had done everything right… but Amazon is literal to a painful degree.
The usual decline triggers (and what we saw)
1) The trademark mark didn’t match the brand exactly
Spacing, punctuation, pluralization, a logo vs word mark — Amazon treats “close enough” as not enough. Amazon’s own guidance is clear that you need an active registered trademark (or qualifying pending route).
2) Product/packaging images didn’t show the mark correctly
Amazon often rejects if the mark isn’t permanently affixed or doesn’t visually match what’s filed. Sellers report rejection language like “trademark on the product image does not match” or “not permanently printed.”
3) Trademark timing reality (USPTO is not fast)
If you’re going the USPTO route, typical timelines can be 12–18 months.
The fix (the exact playbook)
Step 1 — Decide your Brand Registry path
Fast path: file via Amazon IP Accelerator → once the application is pending, you can enroll in Brand Registry.
Standard path: wait for full trademark registration (slower, but straightforward).
Step 2 — Make your “proof pack” impossible to misread
Product photos: clear mark on packaging/product (not just mockups)
Exact match: the brand name on Amazon = trademark mark = packaging mark
If you filed a design mark, don’t apply like it’s a word mark (and vice versa)
Step 3 — Resubmit like a lawyer, not like a marketer
Remove anything ambiguous
Use high-res, unedited pack shots
Keep naming consistent everywhere (brand field, documents, images)
Result: approval, then we moved into the fun stuff: A+ content, Storefront, and protection tools.
5) Your next move (simple, low-risk)
If you’re SA-based and you’ve been thinking “Amazon… someday,” here’s the clean sequence:
Choose 1–2 hero SKUs (best margins, repeat purchase, low compliance drama)
Launch/validate on Amazon SA while incentives are still generous
Lock brand protection early (Brand Registry path + trademark reality)
Expand to Amazon USA with unit economics that survive 2026 fees + inbound placement shifts
If you want help, reply with:
your brand name + website
3 products you think could win
…and I’ll send you a quick “Amazon readiness + Brand Registry risk” audit.