Google Analytics 4 Setup for South African Ecommerce Stores
ANALYTICS SETUP DECISION
GA4 without ecommerce events is just a visit counter — you need purchase, add-to-cart and view-item tracking to make data-driven decisions.
Google Analytics 4 replaced Universal Analytics in 2023. For ecommerce stores, the key difference is event-based tracking (not pageview-based). You need to send specific ecommerce events: view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase. Without these, GA4 cannot attribute revenue to campaigns or show product performance.
Essential GA4 ecommerce events
| Event | When it fires | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| view_item | User views a product page | Shows which products attract interest |
| add_to_cart | User adds item to cart | Measures purchase intent |
| begin_checkout | User starts checkout | Start of conversion funnel |
| add_shipping_info | User enters shipping details | Shipping friction point |
| add_payment_info | User selects payment method | Payment gateway friction |
| purchase | Order is confirmed | Revenue attribution — the most important event |
Setting up via Google Tag Manager
For WooCommerce stores, use the official Google Listings & Ads plugin or the GA4 for WooCommerce extension. For Shopify, GA4 is built in with the “Enhanced Ecommerce” setting. Verify events using the GA4 DebugView or the Tag Assistant browser extension before relying on the data.
Reviewed by the Mitrend Digital editorial team. Updated 18 July 2026.