Takealot | Online Retailer

In 2018, I served as the Product Manager for Takealot.com’s desktop website, which accounted for over 50% of the platform’s traffic. The desktop site also drove new capabilities for the Android and iOS apps, as well as the mobile site. My primary focus was increasing conversion rates and boosting average basket value on an already mature platform.

Key Metrics and Market Position

• Monthly Active Users (MAU): In 2018, Takealot.com attracted approximately 10 million monthly visits, making it South Africa’s largest online retailer.
• Revenue: The platform generated R8.79 billion (±$663 million) annually, equating to over R700 million (±$53 million) per month.

Major Projects and Achievements

1. Expansion into White Goods
   • Introduced large appliances like refrigerators and washing machines, requiring new logistics solutions for higher delivery fees, stock availability, and handling of larger items.
   • Developed a delivery framework that balanced cost efficiency with reliability.
2. Development of Click and Collect
   • Spearheaded the early development of Takealot’s Click and Collect service, allowing customers to pick up orders from designated collection points.
   • Left before launch, but the initiative later became a key asset for the company.
3. Multi-Buys and Bundles
   • Enabled the retail team to create product bundles at discounted rates, increasing average basket value.
   • Improved customer purchasing behavior and boosted sales of complementary products.
4. New Payment Method Integrations
   • MobiCred was introduced and quickly became the chosen payment method for 2% of all transactions.
   • Instant EFT replaced traditional EFTs, which previously took 1-3 days to clear, causing major shipping delays and stock unavailability issues. At the time, EFTs accounted for 15% of all transactions, making this transition a significant operational success.
5. Pre-Support FAQ System
   • Implemented an FAQ system requiring users to go through self-service options before logging a support ticket or calling customer service.
   • Reduced support contacts by 60% overnight, cutting operational costs and improving customer satisfaction.

Focus Areas

• Conversion Rate Optimization – Used A/B testing, user feedback analysis, and UX improvements to refine the desktop shopping experience.
• Average Basket Value Growth – Introduced bundling, cross-selling, and optimized recommendations to encourage larger purchases.
• Operational Efficiency – Improved logistics, payments, and customer support processes to reduce costs and friction points.

Key Takeaways

• Managed large-scale, revenue-critical features for South Africa’s largest e-commerce platform.
• Balanced logistics, payments, and customer experience to drive growth in a highly competitive space.
• Successfully navigated cross-functional leadership, working with teams across operations, logistics, retail, and finance.

My time at Takealot reinforced the importance of scalable e-commerce innovation, balancing conversion-driven design with operational efficiency to deliver measurable business impact.