Takealot Reaches Profitability as South Africa’s E-Commerce Market Expands
The profitability milestone was driven by an 18% increase in revenue to R17.7 billion, making Takealot one of the few homegrown South African technology companies to surpass the billion-dollar revenue mark.
South African e-commerce leader Takealot Group has reported its first full-year trading profit after 15 years of operations, underscoring the company’s growing resilience in an increasingly competitive online retail market. For the financial year ended March 31, 2026, the company posted a record adjusted earnings before interest and tax (aEBIT) profit of R171 million, a turnaround of R384.8 million from the R213.8 million loss recorded a year earlier.
The profitability milestone was driven by an 18% increase in revenue to R17.7 billion, making Takealot one of the few homegrown South African technology companies to surpass the billion-dollar revenue mark. The group also processed more than 60 million orders during the year, serving over 6.2 million active customers, while gross merchandise value (GMV) grew by more than 14%, reflecting continued growth in consumer demand.
Takealot.com, the group’s flagship online marketplace, remained the primary growth engine, recording 17% revenue growth and a 15% increase in GMV. The marketplace now accounts for 60% of the platform’s total GMV and supports around 15,000 active sellers, reinforcing its role in expanding opportunities for local merchants and small businesses.
The group’s on-demand delivery platform, Mr D, also delivered solid growth, with revenue rising 11.5% and GMV increasing 12.6%. Grocery orders surged 38% year-on-year as the platform expanded its retail offering through partnerships with brands including Toy Kingdom, Nespresso, Absolute Pets and Wellness Warehouse. Meanwhile, Takealot Fulfilment Solutions (TFS), which provides logistics services to third-party businesses, nearly doubled revenue with 93.5% year-on-year growth as more merchants adopted its fulfilment network.
Takealot said its loyalty programme, TakealotMORE, has become a significant contributor to customer engagement, accounting for more than a quarter of the group’s total GMV. Active membership increased by 74% during the year, while member orders jumped 263%, saving customers nearly R700 million through discounts and delivery fee savings.
Group CEO Frederik Zietsman said the results mark a turning point for the business, describing Takealot as a profitable and cash-generative ecosystem built on integrated platforms spanning e-commerce, on-demand delivery, logistics and customer loyalty. He said the group’s interconnected operating model has enabled it to create sustainable value for customers, merchants and business partners across South Africa.
Chief Financial Officer Tessa Ackermann attributed the return to profitability to years of disciplined investment and operational efficiency, saying the company has built a diversified revenue base capable of supporting long-term growth without significant additional capital expenditure.
Beyond its financial performance, Takealot highlighted its growing contribution to South Africa’s digital economy. The group said it now supports more than 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, works with over 17,000 delivery partners, and has created earning opportunities for more than 12,500 personal shoppers. The company also revealed it has deployed more than 2,500 AI agents across its operations to improve efficiency and continues to expand its sustainability efforts through Africa’s largest commercial electric vehicle fleet of 280 EVs.
The results come as South Africa’s e-commerce market undergoes rapid change, with local platforms facing growing competition from international low-cost online retailers. Takealot’s return to profitability suggests that continued investment in local logistics, fulfilment infrastructure, marketplace sellers and customer loyalty programmes is helping strengthen its position in the country’s evolving digital commerce landscape.
