It’s no ’30 minutes or less’, but Amazon South Africa is making deliveries a little easier to cope with by introducing selectable delivery time slots that’ll let customers choose when that impulse purchase shows up.

Called Multiple-Delivery Windows, the addition applies to buyers in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town (for now), as long as they reside in “postal codes eligible for same-day delivery”. And, of course, the product itself supports said delivery.

Havin’ an Amazon time

Rabid shoppers won’t be able to specify that their shiny new trinket turns up first thing in the morning, but they can define one of three time slots. These are morning (08h00 to 13h00), afternoon (13h00 to 18h00), and evening (17h00 to 20h00) options, with delivery taking place during these windows. In theory, at least. There’s no telling what South African traffic has in store for delivery folks on a given day.

Still, it’d be a touch more convenient than waiting all day for a package at the back of the truck, or cancelling afternoon plans only to get your items right away. The new option, according to Amazon, “maintains the current delivery fee structure as same-day delivery, and customers will continue to pay R2 for delivery slot options, with no minimum order value.”

Robert Koen, MD for Amazon in sub-Saharan Africa, said, “With our new delivery time slot options, we’re giving customers greater control and flexibility to receive their packages when it works best for them. They can now plan ahead by scheduling deliveries up to a day in advance and can take advantage of our morning delivery option starting at 8:00 am.”