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E-commerce retailer aims to speak to the hearts of South Africans

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2026

As the country celebrates Heritage Month, Takealot embarks on a campaign to speak to consumers in all 12 official languages.

Takealot, one of South Africa’s prominent online retailers, has changed the name on its iconic delivery boxes as part of the country’s Heritage Month celebrations. Customers are receiving parcels bearing Takealot’s name translated into one of the nation’s 12 official languages. 

 

Heritage Month is a national observance held annually throughout September to celebrate the nation’s diverse cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions. 

Stacked cardboard shipping boxes with takealot vatbaie and thatinqwaba branding and blue circular logos

Photo: Takealot

According to the company, the campaign is an opportunity to recognise the many people who have made the brand part of their everyday lives. 

 

“A logo is one of the most valuable things a company owns,” says Karla Levick, Chief Marketing Officer at Takealot. 

 

“For the first time in 15 years, we’re choosing to replace ours with something even more important – the languages of the people who built this business.  

 

Celebrating extraordinary diversity 

 

“Takealot has never belonged to us alone. It belongs to millions of South Africans. This campaign is our way of celebrating the extraordinary diversity, cultures and communities that have made us who we are today.” 

 

To extend the experience beyond the delivery box in various languages, the company has also launched interactive digital experiences where South Africans can discover all 12 versions of the Takealot name, hear the correct pronunciation of each, and learn interesting facts about every official language. 

 

In a social media post published on LinkedIn, Takealot CEO Frederik Zietsman paraphrases a famous quote attributed to Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” 

 

While Takealot remains the country’s dominant general e-commerce marketplace, the landscape is heavily contested by global giants and specialised local retailers. Among them are Amazon South Africa, Makro, Checkers Sixty60, Shein and Temu.