South Africa’s biggest online retailer is changing how it does business as pressure from low-cost Chinese platforms ramps up.

Takealot told MyBroadband it is expanding international sourcing as part of a broader push to stay competitive against rivals like Temu and Shein. The company said the move reflects the “natural maturing” of South Africa’s e-commerce market and follows a global model where marketplaces combine local and international suppliers.

Longer Waits, Bigger Competition

Many shoppers have already started seeing the shift in action. More products on Takealot now come with longer delivery times than before, a sign that more stock is being sourced internationally.

The retailer said this does not mean foreign sellers are getting special treatment. According to Takealot, all sellers must follow the same platform rules and longer lead times are simply part of international logistics.

That explanation comes as some South African third-party sellers complain that Chinese sellers are undercutting local prices and winning the Buy Box, which is the default featured offer customers see when shopping on the platform. Some sellers have also accused rivals of copying locally made products and selling cheaper versions.

Counterfeit Concerns Remain

Takealot pushed back against claims that counterfeit goods are spreading on its platform. The company told MyBroadband it has a zero-tolerance policy on fakes and said sellers found breaking the rules face immediate account termination. It also said its anti-counterfeit system includes proactive monitoring, rapid response steps and seller verification.

Still, MyBroadband found examples showing some questionable listings have slipped through. One case involved a product listed as Apple AirPods for just R289, far below the roughly R4,000 recommended retail price mentioned in the report. Reviewers also flagged faults, and the listing was later removed.

Why Takealot May Still Have an Edge

MyBroadband also highlighted another growing problem in online retail: misleading storage products, including SSDs advertised with inflated capacities. But these issues are not unique to Takealot. Similar complaints have been reported on platforms such as Temu, AliExpress and even Amazon.

Even so, Takealot may still hold a major advantage in South Africa. The company has local after-sales support structures in place, while newer Chinese rivals rely more heavily on third parties for logistics. MyBroadband also reported that Google Trends data shows Takealot remains South Africa’s most popular online store by a wide margin despite the growing competition.