Takealot in R150 million deal to help boost businesses in South Africa
The Gauteng Department of Economic Development and Takealot have entered into a R150 million partnership to bring township businesses into the growing digital market economy through training and additional opportunities.
The “partnership with Takealot allows entrepreneurs in the township to have a national reach online and create job opportunities for young people as re-sellers on the Takealot platform,” said the Gauteng provincial government.
The agreement, signed on 18 April, promises to launch various programmes in townships across Gauteng and “create 20,000 jobs.”
Some of these programmes, largely spearheaded by Takealot, include:
- Takealot Delivery Driver Development Programmes;
- Bringing more products made in the townships by SMEs and local industries onto the Takealot marketplace;
- Bringing more township restaurants onto the Mr. Delivery (Mr D) database;
- Developing a Takealot Personal Shopper Programmes;
- and allowing various township businesses to be resellers of Superbalist stock;
“We are launching this… with [the intention of making] sure that as the e-commerce industry grows, we also bring along businesses in the townships by exposing them to new opportunities that are available,” said Mathopane Masha, head of Inclusive Economy at the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
According to Rand Merchant Bank Aluwani Thenga, “the value of e-commerce transactions in South Africa is expected to surge 150% to R225 billion by 2025 in response to a marked shift in consumer behaviour.”
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that this is “ending an era where township businesses only sell to township residents; Today, together with Takealot, we signed an agreement that will, for the very first time, expose our business owners to the global market.”
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