OpenAI has rolled out a major update to ChatGPT Search, integrating personalised shopping features into its default GPT-4o model to offer curated product recommendations with images, reviews, and direct purchase links—all without paid advertisements or commission-based incentives. The feature is available immediately to all ChatGPT users worldwide—including Free, Plus, Pro, and even logged-out users—and spans categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics.
According to OpenAI, over 1 billion web searches were conducted via ChatGPT last week, underscoring rapid user adoption of its AI-powered search tool. AI-driven brands in Africa must now consider how conversational shopping will reshape consumer behaviour, digital marketing strategies, and e-commerce partnerships on the continent.
Overview of ChatGPT’s Shopping Update
On April 28, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Search will now proactively suggest relevant products when users pose purchase-related queries, presenting product cards complete with pricing, star ratings, and third-party metadata sourced from structured feeds. The company emphasises that these results are generated organically by AI rather than through paid placements, aiming to deliver a more user-centric alternative to ad-heavy search engines.
Alongside recommendation cards, ChatGPT Search will integrate trending-search prompts as users type—mirroring traditional autocomplete—but driven by AI insights rather than keywords sold to advertisers. Soon, memory integration for Pro and subscribers will enable the assistant to leverage past chat context for even more personalised suggestions, though this feature will be withheld in regions with stringent privacy regulations, including the EU, U.K., and Switzerland.
As African consumers increasingly explore e-commerce via mobile and AI platforms, ChatGPT’s entry into shopping represents both an opportunity and a challenge for regional brands. Retailers in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa may find new avenues to reach digitally engaged demographics, particularly millennials and Gen Z—by optimising their product metadata and integrating directly with AI feeds to ensure visibility in ChatGPT’s recommendations.
Meanwhile, companies like Orange and Microsoft, which are already investing in AI infrastructure and skills across Africa, can leverage these shopping features to pilot AI-driven retail experiences and gather consumer insights at an unprecedented scale. Financial services firms and investors should note that generative AI adoption in professional sectors nearly doubled last year, indicating rising comfort with AI tools that can now extend into commerce and customer relationship management.
OpenAI’s shopping integration marks a strategic pivot from text-only assistance toward a unified, AI-powered commerce platform. For African markets, where mobile web usage and digital payments are on the rise, this evolution demands that brands, e-tailers, and investors recalibrate their digital strategies, prioritise AI-compatible data pipelines, and forge partnerships that unlock conversational commerce. By doing so, they can capture early-mover advantages, enhance customer engagement, and position themselves at the forefront of Africa’s next wave of e-commerce innovation.
