How to Make Money Online by Selling on Takealot

(A detailed step-by-step guide tailored for South Africa in 2025)

If you’re looking to make money online by selling products, one of the strongest options in South Africa is to sell on the Takealot marketplace. In this article I’ll walk you through how to set up, how to operate, what to watch out for, and how to scale your business on Takealot. By the end you should have a clearer picture of what it really takes—and how you might earn a sustainable income.

Why Sell on Takealot?

Before diving in, it helps to understand why Takealot is a platform worth considering.

Takealot is one of the major e-commerce marketplaces in South Africa, giving you access to a large audience of online shoppers. (Entrepreneur Hub SA)
Because the platform is well known, you don’t have to build all the traffic yourself—you can piggy-back on their brand and logistics. (mzansibrief.co.za)
For many sellers, it presents a lower-entry barrier compared to building a brand and website from scratch—though it does come with costs and competition.

So if you’re willing to work through the setup and execute well, selling on Takealot can be a viable online income path.

Step 1: Get Set Up as a Seller

Application and Approval

Go to the Takealot “Sell” or marketplace page and register as a seller. (Code Cash – Personal Financial)
You’ll need to provide personal information (ID or business registration), a bank account in South Africa, contact details. (qpd.co.za)
Await approval. The portal suggests review by Takealot within about 10 business days (depending on completeness of your application). (Code Cash – Personal Financial)

Onboarding

Once approved, you’ll go through an onboarding process via their Seller Portal. This covers how the system works: how to list products, manage stock, handle logistics, fees etc. It’s important to pay attention. (Entrepreneur Hub SA)

Requirements & Models

You can operate as an individual (not necessarily a fully registered company) though having formal business status helps in the long-term. (skillspace.co.za)
Decide which inventory/fulfilment model you’ll use: store stock in Takealot’s distribution centres, or use a “lead time” model (you ship when the order comes) or even fulfil yourself. (Truehost)

Step 2: List Your Products & Set It Up Right

This step is where we move from setup to actual selling.

Product Selection

Choose products that you believe you can source at a good margin.
Research what’s trending or in demand: e.g., accessories, home-goods, electronics, skincare etc. (mzansibrief.co.za)
Also note competition: because the marketplace is large, many sellers will list similar items. Finding a niche or differentiator helps.

Create Good Listings

Photos: Use high quality images, white background (if required), clear product visuals. Poor images = fewer conversions. (Entrepreneur Hub SA)
Descriptions: Use clear, benefit-oriented copy. Include keywords.
Product details: Get the right category, SKU, weight/dimensions if applicable, barcode/EAN (if required). (Reddit)

Price Smartly

You must factor in all costs (product cost + shipping to your warehouse or to Takealot’s DC + Takealot fees + returns + possible storage).
The success fee (commission) varies by category. For example categories might range from ~5% to ~18% of sale price. (yebomart.co.za)
Fulfilment fees: For items shipped from Takealot’s warehouse, there are fees based on size/weight. (qpd.co.za)
Storage fees: If your stock sits in their warehouse for long (past ~35 days stock cover) you may pay storage fees. (yebomart.co.za)

Bottom line: Before listing a product, calculate how much you will make after all these costs. If your margin is too thin, it might not be worth it.

Step 3: Manage Inventory & Order Fulfilment

Actually fulfilling orders reliably is essential—not just making the sale.

Inventory Models

Warehouse model: You send your stock to one of Takealot’s distribution centres (e.g., Johannesburg or Cape Town). Once received and processed, the product can go live and orders are shipped by Takealot. (Entrepreneur Hub SA)
Lead time (or ship-on-order) model: You keep the product yourself and only ship when orders come in. This reduces storage cost but may increase delivery time or reduce your “fast delivery” attractiveness. (Reddit)

Order Processing

Monitor orders via the Seller Portal: order notification, dispatch, tracking. (qpd.co.za)
Ensure you meet the shipping/handling timelines that Takealot expects; late shipments or stockouts can hurt your seller rating.
Handle returns/resolutions: customer returns happen; you’ll need to account for them in cost calculations.

Stock-out & Storage Risk

Stockouts = lost sales and lower rankings.
Overstock in Takealot’s warehouse = storage fees. Avoid by forecasting, selling what moves. (SME South Africa)
As one Reddit seller noted: “If you list an item for lead-time only… you don’t have to worry about balancing [warehouse] though.” (Reddit)

Step 4: Marketing and Getting Visibility

Listing your products is one thing; getting them seen and bought is another.

Visibility & Promotions

Take advantage of Takealot’s promotional campaigns (e.g., featured deals, “Takealot Tuesday”, payday sales). Your product’s listing may gain extra exposure through such campaigns. (qpd.co.za)
Consider doing discounts, bundles, cross-sells to boost conversion.

Reviews & Ratings

Encourage buyers to leave reviews (without violating policy!). More positive reviews = better trust = higher conversion.
Respond to any customer queries or issues quickly. Good seller metrics help in rankings.

External Marketing

While Takealot brings traffic, you can send traffic to your listings via social media, email marketing, or other channels. For example, promote on Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp groups, linking to your listing. (mzansibrief.co.za)
Use keywords smartly in your listing titles/descriptions, think about what buyers search for (“wireless headphones South Africa”, etc). Local spelling matters.

Step 5: Understand the Costs & Profitability

Let’s zero in on cost structure and profitability so you don’t end up breaking even or losing money.

Key Cost Components

Monthly Subscription Fee: Takealot charges a monthly seller account fee. Recent info shows about R400/month (excluding VAT). (yebomart.co.za)
Success Fee: This is essentially the commission for each sale. It varies by category. Example: 5%-18% of VAT-inclusive price. (yebomart.co.za)
Fulfilment Fee: If you store your goods in their DC and they pick/pack/ship, you pay a fee per item based on size/weight. Could range from ~R20-R360 or more depending on size. (yebomart.co.za)
Storage Fees: Applies when stock remains unsold in warehouse for many days (past the free period). (Business Tech Africa)
Shipping/Logistics to Their Warehouse: If you send stock to the DC, you pay to ship it in. Also packaging costs, product cost, returns cost, etc.
Returns / Damages / Penalties: If items are returned, damaged, missing labels, or you fail to dispatch in time, there may be penalties or fees. (Business Tech Africa)

Profit Calculation Example

Suppose you sell a product for R500. Your cost to source is R250.

Success fee (say 12%): R60
Fulfilment fee: R40
Cost of goods: R250
That leaves you: R500 – (60 + 40 + 250) = R150 gross before other costs (shipping to warehouse, packaging, returns risk, monthly fee). If you send many units then the monthly fee may spread out and become negligible per unit; if you only send few units, it eats margin.

The key is margin: If after all costs your margin is too small, the time/risk won’t be worth it.

Margin Guidelines

Avoid products with very low selling price unless you absolutely have minimal cost and high turnover. One Reddit seller noted: “If you sell an item on takealot for about R120 … you pay them success fees and handling fees of about R43 … your product cost R65 … you’re left with only ~R12 profit.” (Reddit)
Aim for higher ticket items or items with good margins so that after fees you still make a meaningful profit.

Step 6: Scale the Business

Once you’ve executed and things are rolling, the next step is scaling.

Expand Product Range

Analyze which products sell well in your Seller Dashboard. Use the analytics Takealot provides. (Code Cash – Personal Financial)
Introduce complementary items, or variations (colour, size, bundle) to capture more of the market.

Improve Efficiency

Negotiate better sourcing terms: buying in bulk lowers cost per unit.
Consider shipping stock to their warehouse in larger bulk shipments to reduce per-unit logistics cost.
Use the lead-time model for slower moving items to avoid storage fees. Choose to store only fast-moving items at the DC.

Marketing & Branding

Build your seller brand (even on the marketplace). Good reviews, consistent product quality, fast shipping = repeat buyers.
Use external traffic: if you have a website or social media, drive traffic to your listings to increase velocity which helps improve ranking.
Consider using Takealot’s advertising/promotional tools (if available) to boost visibility of key listings.

Monitor & Optimize Performance

Keep a close eye on stockouts, returns rate, seller rating. Low performance can hurt your listings visibility or even suspension.
Use data to cut underperforming SKUs and focus on winners.
Keep an eye on cost increases, fee changes, competitive pricing.

Step 7: Risks, Challenges and How to Mitigate Them

Competition & Price Pressure

Because many sellers use Takealot, competition is fierce. One author pointed out:

“Competition’s fierce … the platform’s edge? Trust and scale. … Sellers thrive here if they master the system.” (Entrepreneur Hub SA)
You’ll need to constantly monitor rivals, adjust pricing, and ensure you’re offering something (better service, better images, faster shipping) to stand out.

Hidden or Unexpected Fees

As mentioned above, storage fees or penalties for slow dispatch can erode your profit margin if you’re not careful. (yebomart.co.za)
Make sure you understand all the fees and factor them in.

Inventory Mis-management

Stocking too much vs too little: too much = storage fees; too little = missed sales / bad seller metrics. Use forecasting, lead time model for slow items.
One Reddit comment:

“We started out by listing an item for lead-time only and if we got some sales we would try to stock their warehouses …” (Reddit)

Getting Listing Details Right

Problems like wrong barcodes, non-compliant images, bad descriptions can lead to listing rejection or penalties. Example: some sellers on Reddit complained about the complexity of warehouse labels and barcodes. (Reddit)

Returns & Quality Issues

If you have defective products, high returns, or bad ratings, your seller standing suffers. Ensure quality control.

Platform Risk

Marketplaces change policies or increase fees. For example, fee percentages might change, or terms of service might get stricter. Stay updated. One article said “fees and requirements may change. Always verify current info with official Takealot sources.” (Code Cash – Personal Financial)

Step 8: Final Checklist & Best Practices for Success

Here is a practical checklist to increase your chances of making money online on Takealot:

Choose products you can source at good cost and have margin after fees.
Understand the full cost structure (subscription, success fee, fulfilment, storage, shipping).
Register and complete onboarding properly.
Create high-quality listings (photos, description, keywords).
Decide your inventory model (warehouse vs lead-time).
Manage stock levels carefully to avoid storage fees or stockouts.
Monitor orders/deliveries/returns and ensure seller metrics stay strong.
Promote your listings via promotions and external traffic.
Use Takealot’s analytics dashboard to track what works and scale accordingly.
Reinvest profits smartly to grow product range, increase volume, improve sourcing.
Stay aware of policy/fee changes and adapt your business accordingly.

Conclusion

Selling on Takealot can be a solid way to make money online in South Africa—but it isn’t a “get-rich-quick” scheme. It demands smart product selection, careful cost calculations, reliable fulfilment, and ongoing optimisation.

If you approach it like a real business—treating costs, competition, customer service, and metrics seriously—you’ll have a much higher chance of success.