“I Started With R600”: Jayden Crosson Shares How He Built a Multimillion-Rand Online Business
- Jayden Crosson built a multimillion rand online business adapted for South African shoppers and logistics
- The 21-year-old Gauteng entrepreneur also teaches students the tricks of the e-commerce trade
- Briefly News interviewed the teen entrepreneur about his rapid success, flashy social media presence and passion for inspiring SA's youth
Source: Original
South Africa has a new wave of young wealth-builders, and among them is 21-year-old Gauteng entrepreneur Jayden Crosson. He is also a content creator known for his dropshipping business and luxury lifestyle. Naturally, that has led to admiration, curiosity and a few raised eyebrows.
During an exclusive interview with Briefly News, Jayden explained that his business journey started in 2022 when he was still in school. While juggling exam stress and late-night study sessions, he secretly launched his first online store. It made an impressive R86,000 in sales, but soon after that, everything fell apart.
"Even though the sales were real, the business fell apart because I was using traditional dropshipping, and traditional dropshipping simply does not work for the South African market."
Instead of giving up, Jayden dug deeper into why the model failed. He realised the business concept was not the problem; the process was.
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"Shipping took ridiculously long, parcels got stuck at customs, and customers were forced to pay import duties via random SMSes that looked like scams. Most people refused to pay, which meant parcels were returned or lost, and I had to process refunds."
For three years, he worked to fix the operational system. That challenge led to a hybrid model designed specifically for South Africans.
Jayden decided that no stock will be bought until the customer pays. He said orders are sourced through vetted suppliers with faster local fulfilment channels, and he offers branded packaging to boost brand identity and build trust with customers.
"Every step of the purchasing process is locally optimised: smooth payments, clear tracking, and no extra payment surprises."
Within weeks of launching his improved model, Jayden says his stores became profitable and soon scaled into the multi-millions.
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Can a dropshipping business be trusted?
The young man did not shy away from addressing the doubts around the legitimacy of his business. He emphasised that he is aware South Africans have been burnt by online “scamfluencers” selling dreams without data to back it up.
"People need inspiration and a South African example. They need to see someone their age winning legally and properly."
Source: Original
That is why his TikTok account @crossonnnnnn and Instagram @crossoncourse are full of store analytics, payouts, and behind-the-scenes content. He laughed when asked about the sceptics.
"I show everything. Store dashboards, sales screenshots, YOCO payouts, Shopify analytics, my ads, my shipping and timeline. My results before I ever sold a course."
Training platform for e-commerce
Jayden also offers an online programme on his website called Crosson’s E-Com Empire Course for SA Entrepreneurs. The course includes:
- Step-by-step video training
- TikTok & Meta ads training
- Store setup guidance
- My exact product research strategy
- Weekly calls
- My personal support
- Product drops, they can sell
- And full transparency
- As well as 24/7 tech support
He reflected on some impressive student results, including an 18-year-old who made over R2 million in four months.
"Another student was R500,000 in debt, but made over R350,000 in sales in a month and a half, and he is paying off his entire credit card and car debt this month."
Source: Original
Importance of rewards after reaching goals
Jayden loves showing the rewards of his grind on social media. He hopes his socials inspire others to aim high, because every luxe post has a message behind it:
"I’m 21 years old with over R3,000,000 in cars, including two BMW M4s, and I just bought my new R170,000 Rolex. Not to flex, but to show South Africans what’s possible if you commit, and stay consistent."
Despite the success, he remains humble about his beginnings and the hard work invested in making his business profitable.
"I started with R600! No investors, no 'rich dad', and no connections. Just a laptop, discipline, and the belief that I could build something big."
Jayden’s next chapter is focused on growing his course, mentorship, and fulfilment solutions to help more locals tap into the booming online market. His dream is to build a generation of digital moguls who do not wait for opportunities but create them.
"Start now, start small, even if it looks messy. Your background doesn’t decide your future, your mindset does."
3 Other business-related stories of young South Africans
- A 22-year-old entrepreneur spoke to Briefly News about her R200 000 monthly earnings from Takealot sales and dropshipping.
- A determined woman proudly showed her street hustle selling ice, and her clever business idea impressed South Africans online.
- A young student gained attention online after showing how he earns extra money through small campus hustles.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
