Takealot Group and Higher Education Department partner to boost youth skills

Zuko Komisa

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Takealot Group have signed a landmark agreement to boost youth skills and employment.
The partnership will provide industry-relevant training, bursaries, and e-commerce opportunities for students and entrepreneurs.
The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by leveraging Takealot’s expertise and logistics network.

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has signed a key agreement with the e-commerce giant, Takealot Group, to help expand youth skills, address the skills gap, and create job opportunities.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe, focuses on providing young people with practical, industry-relevant training and e-commerce business opportunities, particularly through Takealot’s Township Economy Initiative.

Takealot’s CEO, Frederik Zietsman, said the initiative will be rolled out nationally with the support of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to accelerate skills development and job creation.

Deputy Minister @DrMimmyGondwe toured the Takealot warehouse, seeing how their logistics can support education, student resources, and internship opportunities.#YouthSkills #HigherEducation #Takealot #DHET #TVET pic.twitter.com/wHu7UdInvc

— HigherEducationZA (@HigherEduGovZA) September 17, 2025

The partnership outlines four main areas:

Adopting TVET and community colleges: Students will get hands-on work experience in logistics and e-commerce. Takealot will also help develop curricula to ensure they align with industry needs.
Expanding bursary programmes: The agreement will double the reach of Takealot’s bursary scheme, supporting more students in high-demand fields like ICT and logistics.
Distributing textbooks: Takealot will use its logistics network to deliver textbooks to students across the country.
Supporting the township economy: The partnership will assist township entrepreneurs and small businesses to participate in the digital economy, with Takealot’s MrD platform helping local restaurants reach online customers.

A four-member steering committee has been established to oversee the implementation of the partnership.