Why my dad (and thousands of others) are quitting Takealot/Shopify in 2026.
I’ve been looking at the numbers for SA small businesses lately, and it's brutal. My dad has about R100k in inventory (office chair parts) just sitting in a spare room because the Takealot algorithm tanked his sales.
Meanwhile, Shopify is charging R550/month just for the "privilege" of having a site. If you're only making R2,000 a month, the "Shopify Tax" eats your whole profit.
I’m 17 and I’ve spent the last month building a tool that flips this. No commissions, no monthly "rent." You own the code. I’ve integrated Ozow and Bob Go so the shipping is actually handled.
I’m not looking to sell anything today, I just want to know from other SA sellers: What is the biggest thing stopping you from moving off these big platforms? Is it the marketing, the tech, or the shipping?