All you ladies in cross-border e-commerce, raise your hands! Are you feeling overwhelmed by Amazon right now—with traffic getting more and more expensive, price wars squeezing out all profits, and newcomers struggling to even get a foothold? I used to be just like you all, grinding away on the European and American markets. I struggled for over half a year without making a dime—until last month, when a friend encouraged me to look into the African market, and I discovered...takealotThis platform opens the door to a whole new world! Today, I’m sharing all the practical insights I’ve compiled with you—if you’re looking for a new path, don’t scroll past this.

Are there any other girls out there who, like me, worry about running into pitfalls when looking for a new platform because they don’t have all the information? In this post, I’ve laid out the platform’s advantages and the key points for signing up—just follow my guide.

01

Why You Shouldn't Keep Fighting Amazon So Hard

Anyone in the cross-border e-commerce business knows that things are really tough on Amazon right now. Top sellers have long since snapped up all the prime spots, and new sellers can’t get any traffic no matter how hard they try. Commissions, advertising fees, and shipping costs have been rising steadily, leaving profit margins as thin as paper. According to data from AMZ123 Amazon Navigator, the number of new sellers on Amazon in 2025 plummeted by 44% year-over-year, marking the lowest number of new sellers in the past decade. As a result, a large number of small and medium-sized sellers have begun looking elsewhere for new opportunities. Today’s Amazon is no longer the growth market it once was; it has turned into a cutthroat battle for market share. Platforms like Temu and SHEIN have siphoned off a large portion of users, and the Matthew Effect is becoming increasingly pronounced. More than 60% of the top 10,000 sellers are veterans who entered the market before 2019, making it extremely difficult for newcomers to carve out a share of the pie. Rather than fighting tooth and nail in a red ocean, it’s better to look at underdeveloped blue ocean markets—South Africa is a promising direction that many have overlooked.

02

What exactly is the Takealot platform?

Many people may not have heard of this name, but it is currently South Africa’s largest e-commerce platform, with a status in the local market comparable to that of Taobao in China. According to statistics from Africa E-commerce Insights, Take-A-Lot has attracted 233 million visitors over the past year—more than three times the traffic of Amazon’s South African site. A 2024 consumer survey shows that 31.9% of South African consumers prefer Take-A-Lot as their go-to shopping destination, ranking it ahead of SHEIN, Temu, and Amazon. The platform currently operates both its own brand and third-party seller businesses, with third-party sellers accounting for over one-third of total sales—leaving plenty of room for new sellers. With an average of over 150,000 daily visits and an average page depth of nearly 8, user retention is significantly higher than on many emerging platforms. Furthermore, over 90% of the traffic consists of genuine local South African consumers, rather than invalid traffic.

When I first started using this platform, what surprised me most were its profitability figures: the average gross profit margin for sellers across the platform exceeded 60%, while the return rate ranged from just 1% to 2.5%—numbers that no other major platform could match. Just think about it—the biggest headache for us in cross-border e-commerce is returns. Every return not only means losing money but also having to cover the shipping costs out of pocket. Such a low return rate saves us a lot of trouble.

Moreover, the platform currently has a limited number of SKUs, with many product categories still underserved. Chinese sellers have only recently begun joining the platform in large numbers, so competition is much lower than on Amazon—making it a classic “blue ocean” market with few competitors and abundant capital. Take wigs, for example, which are in high demand locally. High-quality products can sell for over 10,000 RMB, offering significant room for markups. As long as you choose the right products, it’s much easier to turn a profit here than by selling high-volume items on European or American marketplaces.

03

There are two options for joining Take-A-Lot

There are currently two main models for joining Take-A-Lot: cross-border sellers from China and local South African stores. The requirements for each are different, so let me break them down for you:

1. Cross-Border Onboarding: The entry barrier is relatively low. As long as you have a domestic business license—whether you’re a corporation or a sole proprietor—all you need to do is prepare the legal representative’s ID, an email address, a cell phone number, a third-party payment account, and your sales links from other platforms. You’ll need to pay a $200 security deposit, which is refundable after your first order is processed, so there’s virtually no risk. Currently, onboarding is primarily by invitation only; you’ll need to contact a business development manager or agent to apply, as self-registration isn’t fully open yet. Regarding fees, the subscription fee is approximately $18 per month, with the first three months free for new stores. Commission rates range from 4% to 15%, varying by product category, and are generally significantly lower than Amazon’s.
2. Local Store Onboarding: This approach allows you to receive more traffic support from the platform and join its express delivery service, TakealotNow, resulting in conversion rates that are significantly higher than those of cross-border stores. However, the requirements are also stricter: you must have a South African business license. Additionally, under the new policies taking effect in 2026, you must hold a trademark registered in South Africa or a brand license to qualify for traffic support and lower commission rates. So, if you want to set up a local store, the first step is to complete your South African company registration—and that’s the main topic I’ll be covering today.

To be honest, if you plan to operate in the South African market long-term, it’s definitely more cost-effective to run a local store. Platforms provide more resources, consumers trust local merchants more, and it’s easier to scale your business down the line. The only hurdle is company registration, but the process isn’t as complicated as people think—I’ve compiled all the key points for you.

04

A Step-by-Step Guide to Company Registration in South Africa

If you want to open a Take-A-Lot brick-and-mortar store, registering a company in South Africa is an essential step. Many sellers assume that registering an overseas company must be a hassle, but the process is actually quite straightforward—you just need to follow the steps to get it done:

The first step is to have your company name approved. You’ll need to come up with a few potential company names, submit the name approval application form, and wait for official approval. South Africa has few restrictions on company names; as long as the name isn’t duplicated and doesn’t involve prohibited content, it will generally be approved.

The second step is to prepare the registration documents. I’ve listed everything clearly below—make sure you don’t miss anything:

• Approved Company Names
• Articles of Incorporation, known locally as MOI—just follow the standard template for this.
• A local business registration address in South Africa—you can have an agent provide this.
• Identification documents for all shareholders and directors—passports or ID cards are acceptable.
• Regarding the registered capital: South Africa has no minimum registered capital requirement, so you can simply enter an amount based on your specific circumstances.
• If a foreign-invested enterprise is acquiring a stake, you must also provide notarized copies of the company’s documents, along with translations into one of South Africa’s official languages.

The third step is to submit the required documents and pay the registration fees. Registration fees in South Africa are really low—the name reservation fee is about 175 rand, which is less than 10 yuan. The total cost for the entire registration process is just over 100 yuan, and even at the highest, it’s only a little over 200 yuan, which is much cheaper than registering a company in China.

The fourth step is to complete tax registration. Once the registration is complete, be sure to register for taxes and file for corporate income tax. If your annual revenue exceeds the local threshold, you’ll also need to register for value-added tax (VAT). This is a mandatory compliance requirement—don’t skip it. Finally, once you receive your certificate of registration, the entire registration process is complete.

Here’s a word of advice: while the registration costs aren’t high, the subsequent local warehousing costs can be significant. For a 1,000-square-meter warehouse, the total monthly cost—including rent and management fees—is roughly 30,000 to 35,000 RMB. New sellers shouldn’t rush to spend a lot of money renting a large warehouse right from the start. You can test the market by fulfilling orders yourself first; it’s not too late to set up local warehousing once sales pick up.

There’s another common pitfall I want to mention: when setting prices, you must calculate your costs carefully. Takealot uses a platform-wide unified delivery system, with shipping fees ranging from 13 to 130 RMB per order; for small, lightweight items, the fee is generally around 21 RMB. When you add the platform commission, we recommend setting the product price at least 80 RMB. Otherwise, you won’t be able to cover your costs and won’t make any profit. Don’t try to boost sales volume with low prices—you’ll only end up putting yourself out of business.

05

Who Should Enter This New Market?

After reading all of the above, you’re probably wondering: Is Takealot right for me? Let me break it down for you:

Situations when it is appropriate to enter the market:

• Profits from selling on Amazon are getting thinner and thinner, so I want to find a new blue-ocean market to diversify my risk.
• We have supply chain advantages, particularly in categories such as home goods, 3C products, cosmetics, and wigs—all of which are in high demand in the South African market.
• I plan to expand into emerging markets and don't want to get battered in Europe and the U.S.
• I have experience working on other cross-border platforms and have basic operational experience; I’d like to expand into new sites.

Situations where it is not recommended to enter the market:

• If you’ve never done cross-border business before and are hoping to get rich quick overnight, no platform is right for you.
• Funds are very limited—I can’t even cover the deposit and registration costs—so I might as well start with a smaller platform.
• If you only focus on selling large volumes at low prices, you won’t be able to set prices high enough to cover your costs, and you’re likely to lose money even if you enter the market.

The only minor drawback is that joining the platform currently requires an invitation—you can’t register on your own—and the logistics process is relatively lengthy, so it might take newcomers a little time to adjust at first. But compared to getting squeezed for profit on Amazon, this minor inconvenience is really nothing.

According to a report by Toutiao, in recent years, an increasing number of Chinese cross-border sellers have begun expanding into emerging markets in Africa. As a leading local platform, Takealot has become the preferred destination for many sellers. That’s just how cross-border business works—you go where the traffic and profits are; you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.

The entire cross-border e-commerce sector is currently shifting from mature markets in Europe and the U.S. to emerging markets. Africa has over 100 million internet users, and e-commerce penetration continues to rise. Takealot has already established local logistics and payment systems, so all we need to do is sell products that meet local demand. This is far less costly than building a market from scratch on our own.

Instead of competing with countless sellers on Amazon for that limited traffic, you’re better off getting in early to stake your claim in a new blue ocean. By the time everyone else catches on, you’ll already have secured your spot. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, go check out the demand for products in your local market—just test the waters and you’ll see I’m right.

Have any of you looked into the African cross-border market? Or do you have any questions about Take-A-Lot? Let’s chat about it in the comments section.

We have a local company and our own warehouses in South Africa. Not only do we handle onboarding and provide operational support, but we also know exactly how to help you balance your books and file your taxes correctly.If you'd like to learn more about Takealot's compliant payment processing channels, add me on WeChat: 19076121147, Please note “Compliance,” and I'll send you the detailed architecture setup plan.