Mamongae Mahlare - Afrikan Heroes

Takealot Group Reshuffles, Appoints New CEO

January 28, 2024

Takealot Group has announced significant leadership changes, months before Amazon.com is expected to launch retail e-commerce operations in South Africa. South Africa’s leading e-commerce group, which owns Takealot.com, Superbalist and Mr D, said on Friday that Mamongae Mahlare will become executive chair, with Frederik Zietsman – until now CEO of takealot.com – taking the reins as group CEO.

“The streamlining of the leadership between the group and takealot.com will reinforce resources around its flagship online retail and marketplace platform and bring stronger alignment and focus in delivering on its key growth objectives,” the statement said.

Kim Reid, current chairman of Takealot Group – and the person credited with building the group into what it is today – will remain on the board as a director and as a strategic advisor to both Mahlare and Zietsman.

Mahlare was appointed as CEO in August 2021, replacing Reid in the role. Speaking of the development, Mahlare said that: “My role as executive chair is about supporting the leadership to grow the business and driving opportunities that move our group forward. I will also be collaborating with our stakeholders to champion the enablement of e-commerce and how we can accelerate SMME development in the digital economy to create much-needed jobs.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Buoyed by Amazon’s Planned Launch,Takealot Embarks on Expansions

November 4, 2022

Naspers owned Takealot Group has announced plans to push its expansion strategy further into townships and growing its new grocery partnership to defend its market share, its CEO said in an interview on Thursday.

Takealot Group, which includes South Africa’s biggest e-commerce retailer Takealot.com, is pushing further into townships and growing its new grocery partnership to defend its market share.

Competition is expected to intensify following a report e-commerce giant Amazon.com will launch locally in the coming year.

The CEO Mamongae Mahlare said the group’s delivery network and local appeal would ensure it competed. “Our confidence lies in South Africans, lies in us as a homegrown South African business.”

Even with our Mr D business, we’ve expanded into townships…

Mahlare said the company, owned by tech investment firm Naspers, already had pickup points in all provinces and the ability to deliver into smaller towns, but would “never be satisfied with where we’re at”.

“What we’ve been doing is making sure that we’re expanding our footprint so that whether you’re living in Lusikisiki or you’re living in Thembisa or uMlazi, you’re able to get delivery from Takealot.com or Superbalist,” she said.

E-commerce’s share of South Africa’s total retail sales more than tripled to around 5% from 2019 to 2021, according to Euromonitor International, but it lags behind many developing nations.

Without giving any investment figures, Mahlare said Takealot was investing to increase the penetration and take-up of its businesses, including on-demand food delivery Mr D Food and fashion online retailer Superbalist.

“Even with our Mr D business, we’ve expanded into townships, which were areas where we had previously had a target to grow into and so we’re progressing on that march,” she said.

Mr D Food also entered the on-demand fresh grocery sector in partnership with grocery retailer Pick n Pay in August, to cash in on fast-growing demand for buying essentials online, a trend that has been boosted by pandemic lockdowns.