The Takealot Group, which is home to takealot.com, Superbalist and Mr D, recently received two coveted accolades at Standard Bank Top Women Awards during a ceremony that showcased the power of enabling sustainable and diverse workplaces.

With its commitment to moulding a digitally enabled and inclusive economy, Takealot Group prides itself on its transformative hiring approach which allows people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to have equitable access in the workplace and meaningful participation in the economy. 

The Standard Bank Top Women Awards honour outstanding leadership, inspiration, vision and innovation among organisations that advance women. The awards cover all the major economic sectors and recognise businesses from SMMEs to large corporations. 

Takealot Group was named winner of the Corporate Citizenship Award — which honours companies that strive to make a difference by investing in women and girls in SA to improve their quality of life and economic prosperity through innovative programmes.

The group was also awarded first runner-up for diversity, equity and inclusion, an award which recognises companies that empower women and embrace multiculturalism to create an inclusive workplace that displays diversity in preferential recruitment policies and skills development programmes.

These awards recognise the drive towards the equitable representation of women at the Takealot Group, where 45% of all employees are women, and among senior leadership, 40% of management positions are occupied by women.

From a youth perspective, the group has spent R45m on education-based endeavours over the past three years, with 69% of beneficiaries being women. Just under R10m has been spent on internships, with almost 50% of the recipients being young women, and a bursary programme that supports individuals pursuing software engineering studies — of which women make up 42% of all students.

“Now more than ever we need to intensify our efforts to include women and create equity in the workplace,” says Nomaxabiso Teyise, Takealot Group head of diversity, transformation and inclusion. 

“There has been an acceleration of technological advancements and digital transformation in recent years, which provide us the opportunity to level the playing field and ensure women do not get left behind in increasingly digital economies,” says Teyise.

“Women are the rock of our nation, and we want to break the barriers that prevent them from gaining access to every opportunity that is on offer, specifically in areas such as software development, senior management and leadership positions, where there is still not enough participation of SA women.”

Through a partnership with Naspers labs, the group has donated R4.2m worth of laptops and earphones for their digital skills programme. This programme aims to address youth unemployment by providing access to technology careers, and supporting youth-led, tech-enabled microbusinesses. 

The group’s impact on youth education extends through its partnership with the NGO, Beautiful Gate. Customer donations made on takealot.com have helped to support the NGO's after-school education programme, of which 58% of the learners are girls in primary and high school.

In addition, the Takealot Group’s partnership with non-profit organisation GirlCode is helping to spearhead its mission to provide 10-million girls in SA with digital skills training and exposure that prepares them for a career in the technology sector. 

Mamongae Mahlare, Takealot Group CEO, says: “I am proud the work we are doing has been recognised with two highly coveted awards that reinforce our determination to build an innovative and pioneering organisation that supports the extraordinary talent of South Africans. Our vision for the future is one of a diverse and inclusive world that is free of discrimination and stereotypes. Winning these awards means that as a business we are doing our part to give more women their place at the digital table, a necessary step in securing the future. We recognise that we have come a long way over the years. There is still more to do, but we are committed to the journey as a business.”

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This article was paid for by Takealot.