---
title: 'Senior Buyer (Toys) at Takealot Group'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-buyer-toys-takealot-group-cape-town-k6ffxkqj57ng'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-04'
---

# Senior Buyer (Toys) at Takealot Group

- **Company:** Takealot Group
- **Location:** Cape Town, South Africa
- **Posted:** 2026-08-24
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-04
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/takealotgroup/jobs/8154703

## Job description

[takealot.com](https://www.takealot.com/), South Africa's leading online retailer, is looking for a highly talented Senior Buyer (Toys) to join our Retail Team in Cape Town.

The successful incumbet will be responsible to take a leadership role in the procurement and purchasing process within Takealot, managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and making strategic decisions to ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply chain while also mentoring and providing guidance to junior buyers within the procurement team.

This position reports to the Divisional Buying Manager

Your responsibilities will include:

- Develop a comprehensive Toys strategy/plan to drive growth across the department in sales, brands, suppliers and new product listings
- Plan to develop and drive growth across the department in sales, brands, suppliers and new product listings
- Drive innovation by sourcing and prioritizing new brands and suppliers according to this growth plan and in line with market trends and consumer demand
- Deliver against key financial and service level performance indicators within the department (sales, margin, listings availability, stock cover etc.)
- Manage and develop supplier relationships, negotiate good prices, improve trading terms and manage suppliers according to strict SLAs
- Develop a promotional programme, source great deals and manage site merchandising for the department
- Support the operations team in delivering a world-class customer experience – monitor department returns, support the customer service team on product queries and resolving any customer complaints.
- Manage stock and availability (including replenishment orders, stock cover)
- Deliver on customer experience within the department (ensuring products are delivered on time, supplier terms are aligned, product quality is managed etc.)

Qualification & Experience:

- 5 years related retail buying / commerce / e-commerce experience.
- Experience in buying for Toys category
- National Diploma / Bachelor's Degree (Business Science or Commerce degree preferable).
- If the Degree / Diploma qualification requirement isn't met, at least 8 years related retail / commerce / e-commerce experience will be required.
- Strong commercial acumen.
- Existing industry networks a significant plus.

Attributes Required:

- Solutions-oriented, can-do attitude; self-motivated.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking, ability to use data to inform decisions, identify the root cause and resolve problem.
- Strong product and buying planning skills.
- Ability to manage priorities according to clear prioritization and structured planning.
- Ability to build lasting supplier relationships and manage according to SLAs (existing industry networks a plus).
- Comfortable with change and excellent team player.
- Passionate about the Home industry and the potential of e-commerce.
- Understanding of the key business drivers within online retail.
- Entrepreneurial/commercial mindset.

The Environment:

- We laugh hard, work harder, and take full ownership of our wins (and learning moments!)
- Teamwork makes the dream work – we're solution-seekers who thrive on collaboration
- Got feedback? Bring it on! We're always hungry for fresh ideas and honest input 🔄
- Ego? We checked that at the door. Results? Now we're talking!

Like what you see?

If you meet the above you are an Extraordinary Mind so come and join us!

Takealot Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applicants from the previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities, to apply.

## About Takealot Group

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Takealot Group is South Africa’s largest e-commerce ecosystem, operating online retail (takealot.com), fashion (Superbalist, divested), and on-demand delivery (Mr D).
- **Entity Type**: Private subsidiary of Naspers (publicly-listed multinational)
- **Headquarters**: Cape Town, South Africa
- **Founded**: June 2011
- **Founders**: Kim Reid (CEO); acquired alongside Tiger Global Management from the earlier Take2 business

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: E-commerce, Online Retail, On-Demand Food Delivery, Logistics
- **Target customers**: B2C (online shoppers, food delivery users) and B2B (through Takealot for Business; third-party sellers on Marketplace; logistics clients like Woolworths, Pick n Pay)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “To be the largest most customer-centric online shopping destination in Africa” and “Changing lives in South Africa for the better through e-commerce.”

## Products & Services
For each major offering:
- **[takealot.com](https://takealot.com)**: South Africa’s largest online retailer — a full-service e-commerce store with product categories from electronics to groceries, plus a Marketplace of over 11,000 third-party sellers.
- **[Mr D](https://mrd.co.za)**: On-demand food and grocery delivery app (formerly Mr Delivery). Competes with Uber Eats. Partners with Pick n Pay, Nespresso, Frozen 4 You, and Woolworths-owned Absolute Pets.
- **[TakealotMORE](https://www.takealot.com/more)**: Subscription service (two tiers) akin to Amazon Prime, offering free delivery and exclusive deals.
- **[Takealot for Business](https://www.takealot.com/business)**: B2B procurement service launched September 2025.
- **[TakealotNOW](https://www.takealot.com)**: Ultra-fast (minutes/hours) delivery pilot launched December 2025 for ~1,000 items in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg.
- **[Takealot Fulfilment Services (TFS)](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/takealotgroup)**: Logistics and warehousing arm providing distribution services to third-party retailers like Woolworths.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed directly (Takealot Group is a private subsidiary of Naspers; Naspers’ market cap is >$50B but Takealot is one division).
- **Key Metric**: **Revenue** → R16.4 billion (2026 financial year) — 18% year-over-year growth. First-time full-year profitability: R181 million operating profit (vs. R214 million loss prior year).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company **Naspers** (96% ownership). Former major investor **Tiger Global Management** (early funding). Logistics partners: **Woolworths**, **Pick n Pay**, **Nespresso**, **Inospace** (logistics park).
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 17% revenue growth at takealot.com (2025), 28% annual growth in a recent period.
  - Mr D revenue grew 8% (2025) and 18% annually in a later period.
  - Achieved group-level profitability for first time in June 2026.
  - Electric vehicle fleet: 232 e-bikes, 41 Mellowvan 3-wheel EVs, ~30 electric trucks (with more on order).
  - Opened new Cape Town e-commerce logistics park at Inospace’s Powder Mill Park (January 2026).
  - ~7,300 employees company-wide (including drivers and contractors).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Scale & logistics moat**: Largest e-commerce platform in Africa, with own delivery network (Mr D), distribution centers in Western Cape and Gauteng, and a vast network of Pickup Points across all 9 South African provinces.
- **Ecosystem lock-in**: Subscription (TakealotMORE), marketplace, food delivery, and B2B — all integrated into a single platform.
- **Local infrastructure advantage**: Own electric vehicle fleet, solar-powered warehouses (1,800 kWp combined capacity), and a growing fulfilment-as-a-service (TFS) offering for other retailers.
- **Brand trust**: Dominant South African e-commerce brand with over a decade of customer loyalty.

## Strategic Focus
- **Profitability & expansion**: After achieving group profitability in 2026, focus is on scaling TakealotMORE subscriptions, B2B (Takealot for Business), and ultra-fast delivery (TakealotNOW).
- **Logistics diversification**: TFS offering fulfillment services to third parties (Woolworths, etc.) — replicating Amazon’s FBA model.
- **Electric fleet & sustainability**: Accelerating EV adoption and solar energy at DCs.
- **Competing with Amazon SA**: Amazon launched in South Africa; Takealot is investing heavily in speed, subscription, and B2B to defend market share.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture highlights**: Described by the company as “driven by people, powered by tech”; values include customer obsession, fast results, collaboration, and doing the extraordinary. Diverse, trust-based environment.
- **Remote/hybrid/office**: Likely hybrid/office-based (Cape Town and Johannesburg hubs — engineering and BI roles appear to be based in Cape Town; sales roles in Johannesburg).
- **Notable perks or engineering culture**: Strong tech stack (Scala, Java, Machine Learning, Search, DevOps) with 22 active job openings on Greenhouse (June 2026). Engineering teams include: **Takealot Engineering**, **Mr D Engineering**, **Business Intelligence**, and **Product**. Roles range from Data Engineers, Senior Software Engineers, Data Scientists, to QA Analysts. Company emphasizes autonomy, speed, and continuous learning.
- **Growth trajectory**: Company is on an upward profit path, with a young, evolving tech team. High-impact roles with ownership in a market leader.

## Sources
1. [Takealot Group Official Site](https://takealotgroup.com/)
2. [Takealot Group Career Page (Greenhouse)](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/takealotgroup)
3. [Takealot Group Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takealot_Group)
4. [Takealot Group LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/takealot-group)

## Other roles at Takealot Group

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