Bob Shop, formerly known as bidorbuy, is a long-established South African e-commerce marketplace. Founded in 1999 as an online auction platform similar to eBay, it gradually expanded to include fixed-price sales, with the majority of merchandise now sold this way. Between 2022 and 2023, the merger between bidorbuy and logistics company uAfrica created the Bob Group umbrella brand, under which the marketplace was rebranded as Bob Shop, now integrated with the Group's logistics and payment services, Bob Go and Bob Pay.
Bob Shop operates through B2C and C2C models, allowing both companies and private individuals to sell directly to consumers. It competes in a South African e-commerce market that also includes Takealot, Amazon South Africa, Shein and Temu, differentiating itself through a strong presence in niche categories such as collectables, vintage products, crafts, jewellery and refurbished electronics, supported by a loyal, community-driven user base.
Key Features and Services
Bob Shop operates as a community-based B2C and peer-to-peer marketplace, where both professional sellers and private individuals can create an online store and sell directly to customers.
The platform supports two main sales formats:
- Buy Now: Direct sales at a fixed price. This is currently the most widely used sales format on the platform.
- Auction: Online auctions, representing bidorbuy’s original sales model and still commonly used for collectables, vintage goods and unique items.
Account registration is free of charge for both buyers and sellers. Sellers can customise their virtual storefront and manage their activities through the Bob Shop Centre.
The Bob Shop Centre is an advanced dashboard that allows sellers to manage:
- Products and listings
- Orders and shipments
- Customer communications
- Ratings and reviews
- Sales performance and analytics
Bob Shop is particularly well positioned in niche categories that are often less extensively covered by large generalist marketplaces, including:
- Vintage products and collectables
- Local and international art and crafts
- Refurbished and certified pre-owned electronics
- Rare books, vinyl records and comic books
- Jewellery and watches
- Handmade products
The platform places strong emphasis on its community. Its reputation system is based on mutual feedback between buyers and sellers, providing a more human-centred approach than that adopted by many fully automated marketplaces.
Bob Shop is also integrated with the wider Bob Group ecosystem, offering:
- Access to the Bob Go logistics and shipping platform
- Native integration with the Bob Pay secure payment system
- Access to smart lockers and affiliated collection points throughout South Africa
Revenue
Specific financial data relating exclusively to Bob Shop are not published separately from the consolidated results of its parent or investment holding company.
As of July 2026, Bob Shop is estimated to account for approximately 3–6% of the South African e-commerce market. The platform maintains a distinctive position in specialist segments such as collectables, certified pre-owned products, crafts and unique goods, despite increasing competition from major generalist operators such as Takealot and Amazon South Africa.
Bob Shop is estimated to have approximately 1.5–2.5 million active users and regularly hosts millions of active product listings. Its seller network is estimated to include more than 8,000–12,000 active sellers.
Permitted Products
Bob Shop allows the sale of a wide range of new, refurbished and pre-owned products.
The main permitted categories include:
- Art and collectables: Paintings, sculptures, vintage objects, memorabilia, stamps and coins
- Books, music and films: New and pre-owned books, vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, comic books and magazines
- Electronics: Computers, smartphones, tablets and accessories, including new and refurbished items
- Fashion: New and vintage clothing, footwear, bags and accessories
- Home and garden: Furniture, decorations, tools and gardening products
- Sports and outdoor: Sports equipment and sportswear
- Jewellery and watches: Handcrafted jewellery, vintage watches and precious stones
- Automotive: Car parts, accessories and automotive electronics
- Baby and children’s products: Toys, children’s clothing and baby products
- Crafts: Handmade products and gift items
Unlike many highly centralised marketplaces, Bob Shop has traditionally supported the sale of second-hand products. Pre-owned goods must be in suitable condition and accompanied by accurate descriptions and detailed photographs.
Prohibited products include:
- Weapons, ammunition and explosives
- Illegal drugs and substances
- Counterfeit goods and products infringing intellectual property rights
- Adult material without the required restrictions or authorisations
- Prescription medicines
- Live animals and protected species
- Any product that contravenes applicable South African legislation
Accessibility for Italian Companies
Bob Shop is potentially accessible to Italian companies interested in entering the South African e-commerce market, particularly those operating in specialist and niche product categories.
International seller registration is possible, although companies should carefully plan logistics, payments, customs procedures and returns before starting to sell.
The main operational requirements may include:
- A valid company registration or tax identification number
- Identity documents for the company’s legal representatives, such as passports
- A bank account capable of receiving international transfers or access to a recognised multi-currency payment solution
- Compliance with South African tax and VAT requirements once the applicable local sales thresholds are exceeded
- A local address, logistics contact point or operational partner in South Africa for the effective management of deliveries and returns
Italian companies may consider the following market-entry models:
- Direct niche sales: Particularly suitable for Made in Italy products such as design goods, vintage fashion, leather products, jewellery, cultural products and collectables
- B2B2C partnerships: Cooperation with a South African distributor, importer or logistics partner
- Cross-border sales and dropshipping: Possible provided that shipping times, import duties and customs costs are clearly communicated to customers
- Use of intermediaries: Cooperation with import-export companies operating between Italy and South Africa
Working with a local distributor or logistics partner is strongly recommended to improve delivery times, simplify returns and ensure a better customer experience.
Countries and Markets
Bob Shop operates primarily in South Africa and provides nationwide coverage across all nine South African provinces.
The platform has a particularly strong presence in the country’s main urban areas, including:
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Cape Town
- Durban
- Gqeberha
Customers located in peri-urban and rural areas can also be served through partner courier networks, collection points and smart lockers.
The main language used on the platform is English, Afrikaans may also be used informally in customer and seller communications. The marketplace operates in South African rand (ZAR).
Its logistics infrastructure is integrated with Bob Go, which connects sellers to major South African courier companies and to collection point and locker networks throughout the country.
Costs and Commissions
Bob Shop’s pricing model is designed to be accessible to private sellers, small businesses and SMEs.
Registration is free of charge for both buyers and sellers.
Sellers can choose between different optional monthly subscription plans according to their sales volumes and operational requirements.
The available plans generally include:
- Basic: Free plan suitable for new or occasional sellers. It includes a limited number of free listings and may apply higher sales commissions.
- Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum: Paid monthly subscription plans offering progressively higher numbers of included listings, reduced sales commissions, priority support and more advanced analytics tools.
Monthly subscription fees may range from approximately R99 to more than R599, depending on the selected plan and the services included.
Sales commissions, also referred to as success fees, generally range from approximately 5% to 9% of the transaction value. The percentage varies according to the product category and the seller’s subscription plan.
Listing fees are generally not charged within the limits established by the selected subscription plan. Additional fees may apply when the number of listings exceeds the plan’s allowance.
Payment processing fees may be included in the transaction costs or applied separately. They generally range from approximately 2.5% to 3.5%, depending on the payment method used through Bob Pay.
Optional promotional services, such as Featured Listings, are available for an additional fee. These tools allow sellers to improve product visibility in search results, category pages or the marketplace homepage.
Bob Shop does not require sellers to use a centralised proprietary warehouse. Sellers therefore do not incur mandatory storage fees charged by the marketplace.
Payment Systems
Customer payments are managed through Bob Pay, the payment solution integrated into the Bob Group ecosystem.
Available payment methods may include:
- Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards
- Instant Electronic Funds Transfer and online bank transfers
- Integrated solutions such as Capitec Pay and Ozow
- Mobile payment applications and digital wallets, including SnapScan and Zapper
- Buy Now, Pay Later solutions, such as PayFlex or similar providers
- Bob Credits generated through refunds or promotional initiatives
- Payments to sellers are generally made by direct bank transfer.
The payment schedule may be weekly or fortnightly, depending on the seller’s transaction history, account status and risk profile.
Payments are normally processed in South African rand.
Bob Shop also provides a payment protection mechanism. The customer’s payment may be temporarily held by the platform until the shipment or delivery of the product has been confirmed, helping to protect both the buyer and the seller.
International sellers should verify whether their bank account can receive payments in South African rand or whether a local or multi-currency payment solution is required.
Advertising
Bob Shop provides several promotional tools designed to increase product and seller visibility within the marketplace.
Available advertising services may include:
- Featured Listings: Products are given greater prominence in search results and relevant product categories
- Homepage and Category Banners: Advertising banners displayed on the homepage or in high-traffic sections of the marketplace
- Newsletter Inclusion: Selected products may be promoted through targeted email communications sent to the Bob Shop user base
- Social Media Spotlight: Selected sellers, stores or niche products may be promoted through Bob Shop’s official social media channels
Sellers can monitor advertising and commercial performance through the analytics tools available in the Bob Shop Centre.
Available performance indicators may include:
- Product impressions
- Clicks
- Conversion rates
- Orders and sales performance
Bob Shop’s community-based model may also provide sellers with additional visibility through cross-promotional activities, community forums and recognition programmes for highly rated sellers.
Logistics Services
Bob Shop primarily operates through a Merchant Fulfilment model, meaning that sellers remain responsible for storing, packing and shipping their products.
The logistics process can be managed through Bob Go, the shipping aggregation platform integrated into the Bob Group ecosystem.
Once an order has been received, the seller prepares the package and selects one of the available shipping options through Bob Go.
Integrated logistics partners may include:
- Pudo – Pick Up Drop Off: A nationwide network of smart lockers and collection points
- The Courier Guy: One of South Africa’s most widely used express courier companies
- CourierIT
- Dawn Wing
- PostNet
- Aramex
The main delivery options include:
- Door-to-Door delivery
- Locker-to-Locker delivery
- Locker-to-Door delivery
- Collection in person
In-person collection is particularly suitable for antiques, large items or high-value products sold within the same geographical area.
Tracking codes are generally generated automatically and communicated to the end customer.
The platform also provides direct communication tools allowing buyers and sellers to exchange information regarding orders, shipping and delivery status.
The main advantages of the Merchant Fulfilment model include:
- No mandatory central warehouse or storage fees
- Direct control over inventory
- Flexibility in the selection of logistics providers
- Direct communication with customers
- The main disadvantages include the need for sellers to independently organise order fulfilment, international shipping and returns.
- For Italian companies, working with a South African logistics provider or distributor is advisable in order to reduce delivery times and simplify the management of returns.
Customer and Seller Service
Bob Shop provides assistance to sellers through the Bob Shop Help Centre, which contains guides, frequently asked questions and operational documentation.
Direct seller support is generally available through support tickets and email. Telephone or priority assistance may be available for enterprise sellers or subscribers to higher-level plans, such as Platinum.
The platform also has a long-established Seller Community and Forum, where sellers can exchange advice, operational information and best practices.
Customer support includes assistance with:
- Orders and payments
- Complaints
- Mediation between buyers and sellers
- Returns and refunds
- Commercial disputes
Bob Shop uses a two-way feedback system through which buyers can review sellers and sellers can review buyers.
Ratings are generally based on a scale from one to five stars and may include written comments.
Reputation badges such as “Top Seller” and “Verified Seller” may be assigned to sellers that meet specific performance standards, including:
- A positive feedback rate above 98%
- Fast shipping times
- A low order cancellation rate
- Reliable customer service
Each seller is responsible for defining the return policy applicable to their store. The policy must comply with South African consumer protection legislation, including the Consumer Protection Act.
Bob Shop also provides an internal Dispute Resolution Centre designed to support the neutral resolution of commercial disputes between buyers and sellers.
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