Q&A: Takealot boss welcomes the arrival of Amazon

An 11-year lead has cemented Takealot as the biggest online retailer in South Africa. The country’s competition authority said the e-commerce platform used its position in the market to intimidate local suppliers.  

The Competition Commission Inquiry into Online Intermediation Platforms was to identify market features that have adverse effects on competition. The market inquiry, which began in 2021 with a provisional report being released in July this year, looked into a number of other platforms including Property24, UberEats, software app stores and Mr Delivery. 

Now Takealot will face competition with Amazon, which is expected to launch in South Africa in  February next year.

The Mail & Guardian spoke to Mamongae Mahlare, the chief executive of Takealot Group, about its role in e-commerce, its competition woes and expansion to brick and mortar operations.