Naspers has reported one of its best annual results in recent years, with its South African operations in the spotlight after the e-commerce giant Takealot achieved full-year profit.
Overall, the company reported a 53% increase in revenue to US$9.7 billion (R159-billion), while core headline earnings per share increased 24% as the group continued returning capital to shareholders through its buyback programme.
Chief executive Fabricio Bloisi said the company had successfully transformed its vision of building an AI-powered lifestyle ecosystem into a fast-growing business.
Bloisi said artificial intelligence is now embedded across its operations, allowing the group to better predict customer needs, personalise services and improve efficiency using proprietary data.
AI-powered lifestyle ecosystem
“At Naspers we are building something fundamentally different, an AI-powered lifestyle ecosystem that gets smarter and stronger with every interaction. Eighteen months ago, the project was a vision. Today the integrated ecosystem is a reality, and it’s scaling fast. The more we grow, the greater the opportunity ahead,” said Bloisi.
Takealot, which includes Takealot.com, Mr D and its logistics arm Takealot Fulfilment Solutions, surpassed $1-billion (about R16-billion) in annual revenue. Revenue increased 18% while gross merchandise value climbed 14% to US$2-billion.
The group also delivered its first full-year adjusted earnings before interest and tax (aEBIT) profit of US$11-million. Takealot now serves more than 6.2-million active customers who placed over 60-million orders during the financial year.
Its flagship marketplace, Takealot.com, increased revenue by 19% to US$906-million as customer orders jumped 18%.
Food delivery platform Mr D also remained profitable, growing revenue by 11% to US$138-million while maintaining an adjusted operating profit of US$4-million.
Takealot Fulfilment Solutions, which offers logistics services to businesses outside the Takealot ecosystem, almost doubled its revenue, achieving 93.5% year-on-year growth, as the company looks to turn its delivery network into a standalone infrastructure business.
Landmark achievement for SA’s digital economy
Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, the Naspers Group executive director, said Takealot’s profitability was a landmark achievement for both the company and South Africa’s digital economy.
Mahanyele-Dabengwa said years of patient investment had enabled the business to build the infrastructure and customer trust needed for e-commerce to flourish while creating thousands of jobs.
“In 15 years it has built the infrastructure and trust South African e-commerce needs and today serves millions of customers while supporting tens of thousands of livelihoods. We see the same drive across AutoTrader and Property24, which are setting the pace in local AI innovation.
“AutoTrader is doing this through its AI-powered AutoTrader Intelligence platform, while Property24 is the first local property platform to bring AI home search to ChatGPT. As South Africa grows its economy, we remain a long-term partner in a more innovative and inclusive future,” said Manyele-Dabengwa.
Naspers’ regional ecosystems profitable
Chief financial officer Nico Marais described the financial year as a landmark period, saying all three of Naspers’ regional ecosystems are now profitable after the company tripled adjusted EBITDA over the past two years.
Marais said the group would continue investing in growth businesses while maintaining its disciplined capital allocation strategy to deliver further value for shareholders.
“Looking ahead, we are deploying capital by investing in iFood and JET to strengthen our food ecosystem, continuing our buyback programme, and actively building Prosus Plus. Our fundamentals are strong, our strategy is clear, and we are confident in our ability to keep delivering value for shareholders,” said Marais.
- Naspers reported a 53% revenue increase to US$9.7 billion, with core headline earnings per share up 24%, driven by strong performances in its South African operations, particularly Takealot.
- Takealot surpassed US$1 billion in annual revenue, achieved its first full-year adjusted EBIT profit of US$11 million, and served over 6.2 million active customers who made over 60 million orders.
- The company has embedded AI across its operations, creating an AI-powered lifestyle ecosystem that enhances customer experience and operational efficiency.
- Takealot’s logistics arm, Takealot Fulfilment Solutions, nearly doubled revenue (93.5% growth), aiming to become a standalone infrastructure business, while Food delivery platform Mr D grew revenue 11%, maintaining profitability.
- Naspers continues investing in growth areas like iFood and JET, maintaining capital discipline, with aims to expand its AI innovations across platforms such as AutoTrader and Property24, supporting South Africa’s digital economy.
