WeeklySA_AdminE-COMMERCE: The joint initiative between DHET and the company to support accelerated skills development, job creation and drive inclusive economic growth…
By Own Correspondent
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has signed a landmark agreement with leading e-commerce business, Takealot Group, to expand youth skills development, bridge education-to-employment gaps, and support workforce growth in South Africa.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, at Takealot Group’s Distribution Centre in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, seeks to bridge the gap between education and employment by offering industry-relevant skills training and e-commerce business opportunities to young people through the Takealot Township Economy Initiative.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Wednesday, Gondwe welcomed the partnership, describing it as a significant step in linking students with practical skills training and business platforms.
“The MoU aims to provide education and training opportunities for students. It also involves bringing Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) on board to support young people through the township economy and by listing their businesses on e-commerce platforms. This agreement is one of five secured by my office so far,” Gondwe said.
Takealot Group CEO Frederik Zietsman said the initiative builds on the company’s township economy agreements in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, and will now be rolled out nationally with clear goals, measurable outcomes and shared accountability.
“As a home-grown, South African e-commerce business, we are putting our platform, logistics, and expertise to work alongside DHET’s priority areas and SETAs [Sector Education and Training Authority] support to accelerate skills development, job creation, and drive inclusive economic growth.
“We are committed to working with government and other partners to accelerate digital inclusion and leverage the power of e-commerce to change lives for the better,” Zietsman said.
The MoU outlines four main focus areas, and these include:
• Adoption of TVET and community colleges: Students will gain work integrated learning opportunities, working directly with Takealot to apply their classroom knowledge in the real world of logistics, e-commerce and technology-driven business environments.
• Takealot will also allocate industry experts to support curriculum development, ensuring that classroom teaching aligns with the requirements of a 21st-century workforce.
• Expansion of the Takealot Bursary Programme: This arrangement will double the reach of the bursary scheme, enabling more students, particularly in high-demand skills areas such as ICT, logistics, and ecommerce retail, to access education.
• Distribution of textbooks to university or college students: Takealot will use its extensive logistics and delivery network to ensure timely delivery of textbooks to students across various campuses nationwide.
• Collaboration with SETAs to drive township economy support: Foster collaboration between SETAs and Takealot in supporting township entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises to participate in the digital economy. Takealot’s MrD platform will also assist township-owned restaurants and young entrepreneurs in reaching online customers and boosting visibility.
A four-member steering committee has been established to oversee the successful implementation of the partnership.
In recent months, Takealot has been expanding in South Africa by increasing its geographic reach for same-day and on-demand deliveries, launching Takealot Fulfilment Solutions (TFS) to offer logistics services to other businesses, investing in sustainable practices like electric vehicles, and promoting economic inclusion through township initiatives and skills development programs.
The company is also diversifying its product offerings through its Mr D app, exploring new online services such as a home loan hub, and enhancing its Takealot for business procurement service.
Founded in 2011 and backed by Naspers/Prosus, Takealot commands South Africa’s largest online marketplace with an estimated 15–20% market share. Takealot operates a hybrid model combining first-party retail and a rapidly expanding third-party seller marketplace hosting over 10 000 active sellers across 21 product categories, according to Fluid SA.
Takealot’s advanced logistics infrastructure is a key competitive advantage, featuring major fulfilment centres in Gauteng and Cape Town, and an in-house delivery fleet supported by Mr D’s 4,500+ drivers and 50+ pickup locations nationwide. This enables efficient next-day delivery throughout urban and rural areas. Initiatives like the “personal shopper” program extend service to underserved communities, expanding market reach.
Investment exceeding R4.5 billion in technology, warehousing, and fulfilment powers AI-driven personalisation, data analytics, and seller performance dashboards. In 2023, Takealot Group generated R14.9 billion revenue, with improved profitability led by Mr D and shrinking marketplace losses.
However, rising costs and strong competition from Amazon South Africa and Temu have pressured margins, causing market share to decline from 26.5% in 2022 to approximately 20.9% in 2023. – SAnews.gov.za/WeeklySAMirror
MIRROR Briefs
TAXI VIOLENCE SLAMMED
The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has expressed her deepest shock and sadness at the brutal killing of the Gauteng Chairperson of the National Taxi Alliance (NTA), Thamsanqa Moyo.
Moyo was shot while driving along the Soweto highway on Thursday.
In a statement, the MEC strongly condemned the senseless act of violence, which has not only robbed the taxi industry of a dedicated leader but also left a painful mark on his family, colleagues, and the broader transport sector.
“This is a devastating loss to the taxi industry and to Gauteng as a whole. Moyo was a leader who played an important role in shaping dialogue within the industry and promoting stability. His untimely death is a blow to ongoing efforts to build peace, unity and sustainable solutions within the taxi sector,” Diale-Tlabela said.
She urged law enforcement agencies to work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this heinous crime are brought to book.
“We cannot allow criminal elements to derail progress in the taxi industry through acts of intimidation and violence. We call for calm, restraint, and cooperation as investigations unfold.”
She reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to working with all stakeholders in the taxi industry to build a safe, reliable and peaceful transport system in Gauteng. – saNEWS
PRESIDENT CLARIFIES DA PRAISE
The African National Congress president Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to clarify his praise of Democratic Alliance -run municipalities that sparked backlash including from quarters within his party.
Ramaphosa was speaking during a sit-down interview with the state broadcaster.
He earlier in the week suggested that his colleagues learn lessons from better-run municipalities led by the DA.
“We need to ask ourselves what is it that they are doing that is better than what we are doing. And there is nothing wrong with us saying we want to go and see what Cape Town is doing,” he said referring to the municipality run by the DA.
The President, in his interview , said he should have pointed to the progress made in transformation that was visible in municipalities run by the ANC, while clean audits of DA-run councils “does not mean clean streets.”
Ramaphosa admitted that he should have explained his position on this matter more comprehensively when he met with councillors.
“I should have talked about the full equation. The full equation is that there are compliance issues and there are the transformative issues. Both need to go hand in hand, and when I made the example, I should have made a comprehensive one.” – Lehlohonolo Lehana.
UNDERWORLD BOSS JAILED
Cape Town’s alleged underworld boss Nafiz Modack has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for corruption in the Cape Town Regional Court.
Modack, who was also arrested in connection with the murder of anti-gang unit detective Lt-Col Charl Kinnear, was sentenced on Friday.
Three years of the sentence would be suspended, meaning he will spend seven years behind bars. He was accused of paying a police officer to recover his cars that had gone missing.
According to prosecutors, the investigation led by the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation unit, unveiled a scheme in which Modack colluded with former senior police officer Brigadier Kolindren Govender.
Investigations by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation revealed that Modack acted with common purpose by paying gratification totalling R146 000 to Govender in return for special treatment.”
Govender received a five-year sentence, suspended for four and a half years after pleading guilty to being in a corrupt relationship with Modack.The court also ordered that the alleged underworld kingpin be declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Modack is also on trial for alleged tax evasion and another matter where he faces 122 charges for various crimes related to operating a criminal enterprise.- Lehlohonolo Lehana.
BESTER CASE POSTPONED
The case against convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, his alleged accomplice Dr Nandipha Magudumana, alongside other co-accused, has been postponed to December 5.
This is to allow Magudumana’s Constitutional Court bid to take place before the trial can proceed.
Magudumana, is accused of helping Bester escape prison and later, escape from South Africa to Tanzania in 2023. The pair were arrested and brought back to South Africa.
Her legal team approached the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) after the Free State High Court ruled in June 2023 that Magudumana had voluntarily consented to her return to South Africa. Despite her claims of abduction by the police, the Supreme Court sided with the lower court’s decision.
Magudumana’s lawyer, Machini Motloung, said following the SCA judgment, a decision was taken to approach the Constitutional Court for an application for leave to appeal the majority judgement.
Judge Sulet Potterill postponed the matter to allow Magudumana’s Constitutional Court bid to be heard before the trial proceeds.
Bester, Magudumana, and the other co-accused face a total of 38 charges, which include fraud, corruption, money laundering, assisting an inmate to escape, violation of a corpse, arson and defeating the ends of justice. – Lehlohonolo Lehana.
