Finance

Takealot beating Shein and Temu in South Africa

Luke Fraser

 ·14 Dec 2025

Christmas is right around the corner, and Takealot is comfortably the dominant choice for festive season shopping. 

This is according to infoQuest, an online researcher, which asked 300 South Africans across all demographics about their holiday plans and gift-buying intentions.

When it comes to retailer of choice, Takealot is overwhelmingly the dominant choice, with the e-commerce platform the undisputed leader for gifting convenience and selection.

Takealot leads at 61%, close to 20 percentage points higher than second-place Clicks (42%), while Chckers is in third at 37%. 

Clicks (42%) and Dischem (30%) showed that health, beauty and wellness products are now firmly positioned as key high-frequency stops in the gift-buying journey. 

Checkers also stands out, outperforming competitors including Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Woolworths. 

While Shein (29%) and Temu (19%) continue to gain traction as popular shopping destinations, they are still far from Takealot’s dominance. The Chinese retailers have faced resistance from other retailers and SARS.

Takealot’s parent company Naspers, which is the most valuable company in South Africa, recently said that Takealot has maintained its dominant position in the South African market. 

The e-commerce giant is also set for a significant achievement, with the Takealot Group expected to swing into profit in the 2026 financial year. 

Takealot CFO Tessa Ackerman told BusinessTech that the period from October to December is crucial for Takealot. 

If the festive season reaches Takealot’s expectations, the entire group, which also includes the already profitable Mr D, will become profitable for the first time.

Questions over saving 

With many South Africans planning for the Christmas period, 76% of respondents set money aside and saved throughout the year for festive spending. 

That said, a prominent position will still turn to debt to get through the season. Credit cards are the preferred form of debt, with 18% using credit to pay for gifts. 

The 18–34 age group is especially likely to rely on credit cards, according to InfoQuest. 

InfoQuest warned that relying on credit cards or succumbing to the temptation to overspend on gifts poses a serious financial risk. 

Although the holidays can offer a much-needed emotional release, accumulating excessive debt now can lead to a punishing “Januworry.” 

This can force consumers to take new loans to cover essential New Year expenses like school fees and annual insurance increases. 

“To ensure the hard-earned break is not instantly undone, managing festive spending and avoiding a significant debt hangover is paramount to starting the new year on a sound financial footing,” said Claire Heckrath, MD of infoQuest. 

“In essence, the data reveals resilient and determined South Africans prioritising the festive season as a time for self-reward and familial connection, despite the challenging economy,” says Heckrath

“This is demonstrated by the optimistic spending outlook, where a significant portion of consumers plan to spend more than last year.”