Joining an online marketplace can be a great way of expanding your retail business in South Africa – and knowing how to sell on Takealot is a first step in this regard.
Takealot is one of the largest online marketplaces in the country, which means that your products could get valuable exposure if they are listed on it.
How to sell on Takealot
To sell on Takealot, you first need to apply to join the platform, a process that involves an evaluation of your business and products.
How to apply
You can start your application by visiting Takealot’s Apply to Sell webpage. Here, you will need to provide your details such as name and surname, email, and phone/cellphone number.
You will also need to describe your business. Details required include:
- Company name
- Product category (such as books, electronic accessories etc)
- Website and social media address (optional)
- Whether your business is VAT registered or not, and VAT number if registered
- Monthly revenue
- Business owner/Director details, such as name and surname, and email address
It is important to be clear and truthful while providing these details to maximise your chances of being approved. This is because documentation proving some of these details will be required at a later stage.
You also need to provide your products’ details, including:
- Number of unique products
- The brands or products that you carry
- Whether you carry stock or not
- Whether you have a physical store or sell through other channels
- Whether you’re a supplier to retail outlets or sell through other channels
- Whether you had a registered account before or sold through someone else’s seller account
Once you have provided all these details, including additional comments if you choose to, click “Apply to Sell” to submit your application. You will then receive email confirmation.
Registration and onboarding
Takealot will then review your application and contact you within 10 business days. If it is accepted, you will receive a link to register for your Takealot seller account. Supply all the required information and documentation to proceed.
Once you have successfully registered, there will be an onboarding process where you will learn all about the platform’s processes and choose your stock model. The last step is getting your products live on the platform, where customers will be able to view and buy online.
Seller accounts have various features that enable you to grow your sales, including analytical reports to monitor your sales performance and an option to run promotions.
How much it costs to sell on Takealot
According to Takealot, there is a subscription cost of R400 per seller account per month (you can cancel at any time). In addition to this subscription fee, there are other costs that may apply, including:
- Success fees, which are referral fees that cover transactional costs and customer support. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the selling price per item sold, inclusive of VAT but excluding shipping. They range from 5% to 15%, depending on the product category. This fee will be credited in case a product is returned.
- Fulfilment fee per item shipped from a Takealot warehouse. This depends on the product’s size. The lowest fee is R18 per item less than or equal to 7kg, while the highest is R340 per item greater than or equal to 40kg and less than or equal to 70kg.
- Storage fees, which are only charged on products that have a stock cover of more than 35 days. To avoid being charged, you can choose to sell on lead time and only deliver the number of products ordered. Otherwise, storage fees start at R4 per item per month for stock cover of 35-45 days and up to R1,800 per item per month for stock cover of more than 60 days, depending on the item’s size.
Good luck in your application and business!