Fabricio Bloisi, Group CEO of Prosus and Naspers, has expressed strong confidence in Takealot’s ability to maintain its leadership position in South Africa’s competitive e-commerce landscape, even as global players like Amazon enter the market.
In a Zoom discussion, Bloisi outlined the company’s strategic priorities while emphasising continued support for Takealot through technology transfers, operational investments and local community development initiatives.
The Naspers CEO explained the company’s current geographic focus areas, making clear that while Latin America, India and Europe represent immediate priorities for new investments, South Africa remains a crucial operational market.
“Because of our existing South African operations, we have an amazing potential positioning in the region,” Bloisi stated, adding that Sub-Saharan Africa would likely become a priority in the next investment cycle.
Addressing concerns about Amazon’s investment in the South African market, Bloisi presented a robust defense of Takealot’s competitive position. The company benefits from being part of Naspers’ global network, with extensive knowledge-sharing between Takealot and other Prosus/Naspers operations worldwide. This includes exchanges of best practices in technology, management models, and AI innovation between teams in Brazil, Europe, India and South Africa.
Takealot’s recent financial performance demonstrates its strong market position, with the group reporting 20% revenue growth (15% in local currency) to reach $823 million for the year ending March 2025. The company’s gross merchandise value increased by 13%, supported by the successful launch of the TakealotMore subscription service and strong performance from Mr D’s grocery delivery offering, which saw 81% GMV growth.
While these results show continued growth, the company has been investing heavily to prepare for increased competition, resulting in adjusted earnings before interest tax loss of $12 million.
Nico Marais, Group CFO of Prosus and Naspers, reinforced the commitment to Takealot, noting investments totaling hundreds of millions of rand in recent years to strengthen the business against new market entrants.
Bloisi expressed particular enthusiasm for advancing AI capabilities in South Africa, seeing this as a key area for future investment.
The CEO envisions Naspers playing a leading role in developing local AI expertise through training and education initiatives, complementing Takealot’s operational technology investments.
The company’s strategy to maintain market leadership combines global expertise from the broader Naspers network with continued local investment in technology and infrastructure. Recent strategic moves like the acquisition of M24 Logistics have strengthened Takealot’s operational capabilities, while customer loyalty programmes continue to drive shopping frequency and order growth.
Bloisi concluded with a confident assessment of Takealot’s prospects, challenging competitors to match the company’s local knowledge and resources.
With its established market position, ongoing investments, and access to global best practices, Takealot appears well-positioned to defend its leadership in South Africa’s evolving e-commerce sector, even as new competitors enter the market.
