Radio Frequency Identification Implementation Challenges: A South African Case Study

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is revolutionizing stock management in the retail industry. Yet, in South Africa, there is a slow uptake in implementing the technology with organizations being unsure about the challenges and how to overcome them. In response, this study describes the challenges of implementing RFID in the South African retail industry. This qualitative, descriptive case study analysed semi-structured interview data and organisational documentation using thematic analysis. The challenges found were dominated by a lack of RFID expertise and struggling to justify the implementation. The findings of the study add to the theoretical knowledge and limited case studies of RFID implementations in Africa and are of benefit to retailers considering implementing the technology in South Africa.