Takealot vs. Amazon SA: A Playbook for Sellers

South Africa’s eCommerce landscape is shifting fast with the arrival of Amazon SA, challenging the long-standing dominance of Takealot. For local sellers, selecting the right platform or selling on both can have a significant impact on sales, visibility, and growth. This guide unpacks the key differences to help you make an informed decision.

Seller Experience & Setup

Both Takealot and Amazon South Africa offer compelling platforms, but the seller experience differs significantly when it comes to onboarding, setup, and control.

Takealot:

• Marketplace Type: Closed – sellers must apply and be accepted.
• Onboarding Time: Can take 7–21+ days, depending on verification and product category.
• Listing Control: Limited – sellers have less flexibility over titles, images, and descriptions.
• Seller Portal: Offers basic functionality but limited customisation.

Amazon South Africa:

• Marketplace Type: Open – sellers can register and list products with minimal restrictions.
• Onboarding Time: Typically 2–5 days with instant dashboard access.
• Listing Control: Full control over product titles, descriptions, images, and even A+ Content (if brand-registered).
• Seller Central: Feature-rich platform with detailed analytics and listing tools.

Summary:

• If you value ease of entry and full listing control, Amazon SA offers a smoother, more flexible setup.
• If you're targeting an already established buyer base and don’t mind limited listing control, Takealot may still be a strong option.

Understanding these setup differences is key to choosing or combining platforms strategically.

Also read: Market Bulletin: Takealot’s Path to Profitability & Fluid/SA’s Strategic Growth

Fees, Fulfilment & Logistics

Understanding the cost structure and logistics options on each platform is crucial for maximising profit margins and ensuring smooth operations.

Takealot:

• Fees:
  
  • Fixed monthly subscription fee (approx. R400).
  • Success fees range between 5%–15%, depending on category.
  • Additional fees for storage, order processing, and returns if using Takealot’s fulfilment.
• Fulfilment:
  
  • Takealot offers two models:
    
    1. Takealot Fulfilment – where inventory is stored and shipped via their warehouse.
    2. Seller Fulfilled – where sellers manage storage and delivery.
• Returns & Logistics: Takealot handles returns for fulfilled items, with fees deducted from payouts.

Amazon South Africa:

• Fees:
  
  • No monthly subscription fee (at launch), but referral fees of 8%–15% per sale.
  • Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) may incur storage and handling charges.
• Fulfilment:
  
  • Two primary options:
    
    1. Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) – Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping, and returns.
    2. Fulfilment by Merchant (FBM) – sellers handle fulfilment directly.
• Logistics Advantage: Backed by Amazon’s robust delivery network for FBA, with nationwide reach and faster shipping.

Summary:

While Takealot offers predictable, localised logistics, Amazon SA provides more flexibility and global fulfilment experience, ideal for scaling.

Understand: FBA vs. FBM: Amazon SA Fulfillment Options

Visibility & Advertising

Getting your product seen is just as important as listing it. Both Takealot and Amazon SA offer tools to boost visibility, but they differ in flexibility, reach, and performance data.

Takealot:

• Product Visibility:
  
  • Primarily driven by category placement, product ratings, and pricing competitiveness.
  • Limited control over SEO elements like titles and descriptions.
• Advertising Options:
  
  • Offers Sponsored Product Ads, but campaign control is limited.
  • Minimal targeting options and limited access to performance metrics.
  • Ads are generally managed through a third-party account manager, reducing agility.

Amazon South Africa:

• Product Visibility:
  
  • Strong focus on search relevance and keyword optimisation.
  • Sellers have full control over titles, bullets, and backend search terms.
• Advertising Options:
  
  • Robust Amazon Ads suite, including:
    
    • Sponsored Products
    • Sponsored Brands
    • Sponsored Display
  • Full dashboard access for real-time performance tracking and detailed targeting.
  • Campaigns can be adjusted instantly, giving sellers full control over budget and strategy.

Summary:

If visibility and advertising performance are a priority, Amazon SA offers far greater control, flexibility, and data transparency, ideal for growth-focused sellers.

Learn if: Is Amazon Advertising Worth It​? Learn from Industry Experts

Choosing the Right Platform

Deciding between Takealot and Amazon South Africa depends on your business goals, product type, and capacity to manage multichannel operations.

Choose Takealot if:

• You’re focused on tapping into an established South African customer base.
• You prefer working with a local platform that’s familiar with regional logistics and support structures.
• Your products are suited for everyday retail categories like electronics, homeware, and personal care.

Choose Amazon SA if:

• You want more control over your product listings, advertising, and branding.
• You’re aiming to scale quickly and take advantage of Amazon’s advanced fulfilment systems and analytics.
• You’re comfortable with a self-service dashboard and more active campaign management.

Or Both

Many sellers find success in a hybrid strategy, using Takealot for local brand recognition while leveraging Amazon for flexibility and ad scalability. Tools like multichannel listing software can help you sync inventory and pricing across platforms.

Final Thought:

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Assess your operational capabilities, margins, and product positioning before deciding or consider testing both platforms to see what works best for your business.

Also read: What’s holding business owners back from E-commerce?

Conclusion

Both Takealot and Amazon South Africa offer unique advantages for sellers. Choosing the right platform depends on your goals, resources, and growth plans. Whether you go with one or embrace both, understanding the strengths of each will help you build a more profitable and scalable eCommerce strategy in South Africa.

Ready to launch or scale your business on Amazon South Africa or Takealot? Let fluid/sa guide you with expert strategy, setup, and advertising support. Contact us today to start selling smarter and growing faster.