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SA E-Commerce Shake-Up: How Takealot Became a Logistics Partner for Its Rivals
Takealot is no longer just South Africa’s biggest online store. It now runs warehousing and deliveries for some of its biggest retail rivals. That logistics business helped the group post its first full-year trading profit. Woolworths, Mr Price and Pepkor all use it. Pick n Pay goes further and hosts Takealot pickup counters in its supermarkets. Here is what this shift in South African e-commerce means for you. All amounts in this article are in rand.
Takealot Fulfilment Services Works for Woolworths, Mr Price and Pepkor
Takealot Fulfilment Services (TFS) launched in July 2025. The division brings the group’s logistics, courier, on-demand delivery, supply chain and international freight capabilities under one roof. Revenue from fulfilment services almost doubled in a year. According to Moneyweb, Takealot Group reported a trading profit of R171M for the year to 31 March 2026. It was the group’s first full-year profit.
Major listed retailers now use TFS for parts of their own online operations. They include Mr Price, Woolworths and Pepkor. TFS provides distribution and warehousing for Woolworths Online. Takealot sees room to serve other parts of the Woolworths business. Grocery deliveries are not part of the arrangement. Woolworths keeps those in-house through Woolies Dash.
The model makes financial sense for Takealot. The warehouses, fleets and systems already exist for its own orders. Extra volume from other businesses therefore adds revenue without matching new costs. More than half of the largest sellers on the Takealot marketplace also use TFS. The division sells these services to more than 3,300 customers:
- Warehousing and distribution:
Retailers store stock in Takealot warehouses and use its network to move goods to their customers. - On-demand delivery:
Mr D delivers for partners such as Nespresso, Frozen 4 You and Woolworths-owned Absolute Pets. - Courier and freight:
Businesses can book courier deliveries and global freight forwarding through the same division.
Pick n Pay Stores Double as Takealot Pickup Points
The physical side of the strategy runs through Pick n Pay. Takealot pickup points first launched in 2019 with more than 25 collection points. Since a pilot in 2023, some of them sit inside Pick n Pay supermarkets. By July 2025, 30 Pick n Pay stores hosted a Takealot counter, with a target of 36 by the end of that year. Collections at these stores doubled between February and May 2025.
You choose a participating Pick n Pay store at checkout and collect your order during trading hours. Bulky items are excluded.
| 📌 Indicator | 🔢 Latest Published Figure (July 2025) |
|---|---|
| Takealot pickup points nationwide | More than 100 |
| Pickup points inside Pick n Pay stores | 30 |
| Target inside Pick n Pay stores by end-2025 | 36 |
| Monthly collections at Pick n Pay points | More than 14,000 |
| Unique customers who have used the service | More than 45,000 |
The partnership also works in the other direction. Mr D delivers Pick n Pay groceries, and TakealotMORE subscribers get these deliveries free at in-store prices. Takealot CEO Frederik Zietsman says Pick n Pay groceries are a key draw for the subscription. TakealotMORE members make up more than 27% of the Takealot.com customer base. Zietsman adds that the group is not focused on last-mile partnerships with other grocers.
What the Next Pick n Pay CEO Inherits
Pick n Pay has named Spencer Sonn as CEO-designate. Sonn spent 26 years at Woolworths, including five years running its food division. He joins on 1 February 2027 and takes over from Sean Summers in May 2028.
The next Pick n Pay CEO inherits a turnaround in progress. Summers returned in 2023. Since then, Pick n Pay has recapitalised, listed its discounter Boxer and restructured loss-making stores. Sonn also inherits a growing digital business. On-demand turnover on Pick n Pay asap! grew 40% year on year in the first half of the 2026 financial year. The app keeps adding features, such as a shoppable video feed called Pick n Pay Inspire.
The gap to the market leader is still large. Checkers Sixty60 grew sales by 34.6% to R11.9bn in the six months to December 2025. How Sonn balances Pick n Pay’s own app with the Takealot partnership will be a question to watch.
LekkeSlaap Acquisition Keeps Travel Tech in Local Hands
Elsewhere in South African tech, the LekkeSlaap acquisition ends a 17-year chapter for its founders. A consortium co-led by Bellair Road Investment Partners and Janic Capital bought the accommodation booking platform. The deal was announced on 8 October 2026. The Ferreira and Moolman family offices and Investec invested alongside them. The price was not disclosed.
Co-founders Jonathan Womersley and Marcel van de Ghinste exit the business. CEO Frans Joubert and his executive team stay on and have invested too. Former RMB Holdings CEO Herman Bosman becomes chairman. According to Launch Base Africa, domestic platforms earn roughly 10% of commission revenue in a market led by global players such as Airbnb. LekkeSlaap’s parent company, Tripco, is the largest local player. The new owners plan to invest in technology, localisation and expansion across Southern Africa.
Conclusion: What Takealot’s Logistics Push Means for South African E-Commerce
Takealot is turning its delivery network into a product. Retailers that compete with it for online shoppers now pay it to store and move their goods. The group estimates online penetration in South Africa at around 10% and expects that share to double within five years. If that happens, more of the growth may run through Takealot’s warehouses and vans, even when you buy from another retailer. For you as a shopper, the visible changes are more pickup counters and faster delivery options.
