The South African company that should scare Woolworths and Mr Price

Bash, TFG’s omnichannel platform, launched in March 2023, has achieved exceptional growth and poses a significant threat to traditional clothing retailers, such as Woolworths and Mr Price.

Bash was developed by TFGLabs, a startup created within TFG and headed by e-commerce veterans Claude Hanan and Luke Jedeiken.

Hanan and Jedeiken founded Superbalist, which Takealot later acquired. They also served as Takealot executives during the company’s rapid growth spurt.

Under their leadership, Bash has grown from an ambitious idea into an e-commerce powerhouse that is starting to dominate the South African online clothing market.

It has surpassed 8.1 million app downloads and 1 million TikTok followers, the first South African retailer to surpass that milestone.

TFG’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 confirmed Bash’s continued strong performance and growing contribution to the retailer’s performance.

TFG’s online sales grew by 43.5% and now contribute 5.8% to total TFG Africa sales, driven by the continued strong performance of our Bash platform.

What is particularly impressive is that Bash has moved into profitability two years ahead of expectation. This isn’t easy to achieve in South Africa’s e-commerce market.

Bash achieved a standout performance in its second full year of operation, contributing R2.1 billion in revenue. It is the digital equivalent of 195 physical stores.

To put it into perspective, the R2.1 billion in sales is like adding the equivalent of 64 new stores without leases, buildout, or inventory risk.

Each additional rand generated via Bash delivered 25c in profit, with R1 billion in avoided capital expenditure (capex) and tied-up stock.

Bash recorded a 26% increase in retention within 13 months, a key metric of an online platform’s success.

BashDelivery now handles 1.5 million parcels annually, delivering 59% of orders in under 48 hours at 34% lower cost.

Omni-selling in-store tech is projected to deliver R350 million in sales from 1,800 stores, with a 215% return on investment (ROI). This is music to TFG’s ears.

The platform has also invested heavily in technology to enhance service delivery and increase customer experience.

It deployed an AI shopping assistant called Clarity, driving a 3.3% lift in revenue. Bash’s automated returns service, Baxter, manages support at scale.

It has also integrated smart checkout through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and BashPay, reducing checkout time to just 5 seconds.

Bash has become more than a digital channel for TFG. It is a platform driving digital transformation across the group.

From stores to supply chain, customer experience to cost efficiency, it’s now embedded in how the group grows.