The department of communications & digital technologies is in talks with South Africa’s largest online retailer, Takealot Group, which is mulling the option of hiring thousands of retrenched Post Office employees as it widens its e-commerce ambitions.
The announcement was made by Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, director-general in the department of communications & digital technologies, in a presentation to parliament on Wednesday. She said that Takealot is looking to make around 18 000 new hires.
“We have an agreement with Takealot in place,” Jordan-Dyani told MPs. “The agreement says Takealot will onboard the previously retrenched Sapo (Post Office) members; on top of that, there is still an opportunity for the recruitment of South African citizens for the delivery of parcels.”
The Post Office was placed into business rescue in July 2023. According to the rescue plan, it had debts of R4.5-billion, with R3.9-billion owed to Postbank and about R400-million owed in rental arrears. Part of the plan included retrenching some 6 000 postal workers.
By April 2024, 4 870 retrenchment letters had already been issued. A plan to tap into the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) to save these jobs led to a majority of the retrenchment letters being rescinded.
The Ters plan did not last long, however. A week after the announcement, business rescue practitioners Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons announced their application had been unsuccessful, and nearly 5 000 workers were let go.
Prior to entering business rescue, the Post Office had already shed 6 000 jobs as the embattled entity struggled to pay its bills, including salaries.
Under discussion
Jordan-Dyani did not specify if the agreement with Takealot applied to employees retrenched within a certain period. Even so, the 18 000 personnel figure quoted by the director-general suggests there is enough room, potentially, to accommodate all retrenched Post Office workers, both those made before and after the company entered into business rescue.
However, when TechCentral asked Takealot about Jordan-Dyani’s claims, the e-commerce group emphasised that the programme is still under discussion and that no formal agreement has yet been reached.
“Takealot Group confirms that we are engaged in ongoing discussions with the department of communications & digital technologies to explore partnership opportunities that advance skills development and entrepreneurship in South Africa’s digital economy,” said Tshepo Marumule, group executive for external affairs and public policy at Takealot Group.
Read: Plan to save thousands of Post Office jobs fails
“These discussions aim to support initiatives that empower communities, with a particular focus on upskilling and creating entrepreneurship opportunities for former Post Office employees.”
According to Takealot, the discussions are focused on finding ways to “empower communities … with a particular focus on upskilling and creating employment opportunities for former Sapo employees”.
One of the ideas being discussed is a township economy initiative, which would include driver development and personal shopper programmes.
The financial performance of the two entities – Takealot and the Post Office – could not be further apart. Whether the Post Office will successfully exit business rescue remains unclear. Rooplal and Damons have previously told parliament that a further R3.8-billion is required to save the entity but national treasury has said it does not have the money.
Takealot, meanwhile, has been growing its market share as the leading e-commerce platform in South Africa, even in the face of stiff competition from new rivals, including US e-retail giant Amazon. TechCentral reported in June that Takealot Group grew revenue by 20% year on year (15% in local currency) to reach US$823-million in the year to 31 March 2025.
Read: Public money, private plans: MPs demand Post Office transparency
“The details of these initiatives are still under discussion and no agreement and specifics have been reached. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the department of communications & digital technologies and will share more information in due course when these discussions are concluded,” said Marumule. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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