Google has introduced a “ZA South Africa” tag to identify some South African businesses in organic search results. This move aims to promote local eCommerce, address competition issues, and support the South African digital economy.
The development follows a 2023 ruling by the South African Competition Commission, which concluded that Google’s business model and dominance hindered competition in the country. The commission imposed several conditions on Google to address its anti-competition activities, including the introduction of a South African flag identifier and a South African platform search filter.
This allows consumers to identify and support local platforms. Currently, these labels are live, and consumers searching for South African platforms on Google can see them. South African eCommerce platforms now receive a tag next to their website names in organic searches, while local products in Google’s shopping carousel display the country’s flag in the top right-hand corner.
A Google spokesperson stated, “We are introducing new local filter optionality for South African travel and shopping platforms on our search page and dedicated local curation for apps published on the Play store by South African developers.”
Many eCommerce and accommodation businesses already have the “ZA South Africa” tag, including (link unavailable) and (link unavailable) The Competition Commission noted that Google Search is a de facto monopoly, accounting for over 90% of all general search across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
The commission stressed that visibility on Google is vital for South African businesses to enhance discoverability and attract customers. Google must create a new free platform carousel for showcasing smaller South African companies and provide funding and training to support small and black-owned businesses.
Google collaborated with the Competition Commission to identify eligible companies for the “ZA South African” marker. Other platforms will be able to apply for the label through a process that will be made available soon.
