Six offerings to go live in Durban from May 1 after the success of offerings in Gauteng and Cape Town

Johannesburg, 2 May 2024 – KwaZulu-Natal will soon become the third South African province to benefit from a smart locker and counter delivery offering from ecommerce ecosystem Bob Group.

The first “Bob Box” locker was placed at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria in June last year and 40 more can now be found across Gauteng and Cape Town.

Six lockers will now also go live in Durban from May 1.

The global smart parcel locker market is estimated to reach some R37 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Bob Group Head of Product Jaco Roux says the Bob Box service is driven primarily by the market need for more flexible and convenient delivery options for online shoppers.

“Traditional delivery methods often pose challenges such as missed deliveries and security concerns. Bob Box addresses these issues by providing smart lockers and counters where customers can collect their parcels at their convenience, ensuring that they have access to their purchases even if they are not home to receive them directly,” Roux says.

From the customer’s perspective, the smart locker-and-counter delivery/collection service offers a convenient and secure method of receiving or returning purchases.

Customers can choose a locker location at checkout on participating websites. Once their package is delivered to the selected locker, they receive a notification with a secure PIN which is used to access the locker at a time that suits their schedule.

For retailers, the offering provides an additional delivery option that is both cost-effective and convenient. Retailers send packages to selected locker locations, ensuring they reach customers efficiently and remain accessible until collection.

Bob Group Head of Business Anita Erasmus says the system can help reduce costs associated with redeliveries and minimise customer service inquiries related to delivery issues.

Given South Africa’s high crime rate, lockers have been placed at locations that offer some level of security. Smart technology is then employed to monitor the movement of parcels.

For now, the company is positioning the lockers at retail properties but plans include expansion to petrol stations, universities and estates. It has also recognised the potential to offer the solution to townships, where couriers often find it difficult to make door-to-door deliveries and shoppers may not be able to afford the surcharges associated with this type of delivery.

Erasmus adds that the lockers are battery-powered to offset the effects of load-shedding while maintenance is kept to a minimum by ensuring the hardware and firmware are kept as simple as possible.

“It is called a locker network for a reason,” Erasmus concludes.

“A network of lockers is needed for a solution like this to offer maximum benefit. But as with all good things, one just needs to start somewhere which is what we have done. For now, we are focussing on the three main centres and increasing accessibility within these areas. We will then look at expanding to the rest of the country. This is a question of when not if.”

About Bob Group

Bob Group is a merchant- and consumer-focused company born out of an amalgamation between South African online auction and marketplace brand Bob Shop and Bob Go, a logistics ecommerce solution that streamlines order fulfilment and shipping processes for merchants selling online. The company offers a variety of tools to assist merchants, including syncing products to the Bob Shop platform easily, shipping and tracking solutions, payment facilitation and a software-as-a-service solution for courier companies.

Managing Director for Bob Group, Andy Higgins is an experienced professional in all aspects of ecommerce, including online marketplaces, payments and logistics. He founded bidorbuy and was instrumental in starting PayFast in South Africa. Craig Lubbe, Bob Group’s Head of Marketplace, has led Bob Shop in creating a thriving community of buyers and sellers across South Africa, and it is one of the nation’s biggest online shopping and auction marketplaces.

About Anita Erasmus:

Anita Erasmus is the Head of Business at Bob Group, an ecommerce ecosystem aimed at making ecommerce reliable, simple and trustworthy. After concluding her honours degree in Financial Management at the University of Stellenbosch in 2011, Anita completed her MBA in 2016 at Stellenbosch Business School. Anita worked as an Operations Assistant and Business Consultant before becoming the Business Manager of uAfrica. This ecommerce technology company developed a custom-built shipping solution for South African companies. As the Head of Business at Bob Group, she focuses primarily on the business and day-to-day operations of the shipping service.

About Joco Roux:

As the Head of Product for Bob Group, Jaco Roux has been at the forefront of the ecommerce sector since 2003. His entrepreneurial journey began with the creation of Jump Shopping, an online shopping search engine, in 2006. His vision and expertise in the field further flourished through the co-founding of uAfrica alongside Andy Higgins. Today, his role in shaping the product strategy of Bob Group underscores his pivotal contribution to the ecommerce landscape, driving innovation across the company’s diverse service offerings.

PR by Transform Marketing