---
title: 'Software Engineer (Python) at Takealot Group'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-python-takealot-group-south-africa-8symek6d6077'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Software Engineer (Python) at Takealot Group

- **Company:** Takealot Group
- **Location:** South Africa
- **Posted:** 2024-05-31
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/takealotgroup/jobs/5865553

## Job description

Takealot.com, South Africa’s leading online retailer, is looking for a highly talented Senior Software Engineer (Python) to join our team. We are a young, dynamic, hyper-growth company looking for smart, creative, hard-working people with integrity to join us!

Think you’ve been challenged before? Think again!

- Scale: Over 4 million happy shoppers shop online on takealot.com. Show them what you can do.
- Learn: We work with the best of the best. Code alongside industry leaders and up-skill in record time.
- Grow: Expand your career in the fast-growing Takealot Group: takealot.com, and Mr D. We like to promote from within: Here’s your chance.

Who’s who in the tech space

This position reports to the respective team's manager.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

As a Software Engineer, you will be someone whose expertise directly translates into developing robust software in the e-commerce domain. You will have the opportunity to implement best practices to improve existing software and participate in the development of new features. While we don't promote after-hours work as part of the regular workday, we run a 24/7 business with the need to keep systems up and running. Software Engineers are expected to provide after-hours support on a rotational basis to resolve critical system issues if needed.

- Design and build solutions to assist our business users and improve customer experience
- Architect and design solutions with your team
- Develop code, making major improvements to non-functional areas
- Develop high-quality production code for work of high complexity and scale
- Utilize and improve functional and non-functional testing practices
- Champion, challenge, and iterate on best practices within engineering
- Design solutions for complex problems with difficult decision trade-offs, typically system or domain-wide
- Participate in and collaborate on architecture proposals across engineering
- Support alignment of architecture across the organisation
- Respond to and resolve bugs in production for systems in your division
- Respond to alerts and support incident response within your division
- Investigate and drive the resolution of issues that impact multiple teams
- Support, challenge existing, and define new engineering processes and directives
- Review and contribute fixes and content to internal documentation
- React to technology trends, identifying risks and opportunities for your division's technologies, systems, and domains
- Share knowledge through blog posts, tech talks, and workshops across engineering
- Contribute to discussions and decisions in the division
- Challenge others to always produce work of the highest quality
- REST and RPC API implementation and maintenance (using Python)
- Develop and maintain automation tests
- Liaise with various internal stakeholders to discuss project requirements, progress, etc.

The skills we need:

- Solutions-oriented, can-do attitude, and high energy
- Strong analytical and critical thinking, using data to inform decisions
- Ability to disaggregate and structure solutions to ambiguous problems
- Solid quantitative skills
- Capability to present ideas succinctly, in writing and verbally
- Versatile and with the appetite to learn by doing

Qualifications & Experience:

- Bachelor’s degree or an Advanced Diploma in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
- 3 to 6 years in a software development role for a mid-level role
- 5 to 10 years in a software development role for a senior role
- A thorough understanding of computer science fundamentals, including object-oriented design, data structures, and algorithms
- Experience in writing robust, efficient production code
- Proficient in a strongly typed open source language such as Python, Java, Golang, etc
- Exposure to RESTful APIs and web services.
- Experience with SQL database systems
- Experience with development in a Linux environment

Experience in the following will be advantageous:

- Familiarity with microservices architecture
- Experience working in an Agile environment
- MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL
- Memcached, Redis
- Message Brokers, Queues, and PubSub systems (e.g., Kafka and RabbitMQ)
- Containerisation (e.g., Docker)
- Orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes)
- GitHub, Travis CI, Jenkins
- AWS, GCP, Azure
- JavaScript, React, jQuery

Let’s talk about life @ Takealot Group

- The power is in your hands: We offer a market-related Total Remuneration Package that allows full flexibility according to your needs. Go on, be the master of your own destiny.
- No doors: We aren’t fans of stuffy offices or siloed work environments. See someone you like, high-five, collab, and make something great.
- Remote working: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home while having the option for in-office interactions. Takealot.com provides a fully remote setup with the choice to visit the office to relish in those water cooler moments when desired.
- Mentorship programme: We aren’t kidding when we say the people with the best people win. Now’s your chance to be one of the best by learning from the best.
- Naspers Tech Community & Online Learning: Share ideas and grow with global industry leaders who are all just a Slack message away. Love to learn? Up-skill with free access to courses on MyAcademy, Udacity, Coursera, and more.
- Good times: Get to know the other extraordinary minds at takealot.com during regular social events and out-of-office activities (think hikes, think mini golf, think good times).
- Staff discount: Takealotmore subscriptions and millions of products across 28 departments. What more could you ask for?
- Birthday leave: Cake Day all the way. Enjoy your day off - you deserve it.
- Right tools, right job: Mac or Linux, two monitors or one. Whatever your preference, you’ll work on the latest tech, off the latest tech.
- Help when you need it most: Confidential counselling, legal support, and financial guidance, anytime, anywhere.
- Tech stack (for days): ReactJS, Python, Scala, Kotlin, Swift, Google Cloud, Kafka, Redis, Kubernetes, and all things machine learning. If you build it, they will come.
- Free parking: No more 5km fun runs to your desk (unless you want to).

Like what you see?

If you meet the above, you are an Extraordinary Mind. Apply today!!

Takealot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants from previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities will be given preference.

## 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)

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