Small South African Beauty Brand Attacked by Takealot

Bella Nova Beauty Pty Ltd, a proudly South African, woman-owned small business, was recently labeled “unaligned” and “unexciting” by Takealot — feedback that is not only inaccurate but also insulting.

We fully comply with Takealot’s vendor criteria: our products are award-winning, globally recognized, directly sourced from brands, certified, new, and properly packaged for e-commerce. Despite this, Takealot never gave us the opportunity to provide merchant invoices or clarify our compliance.

Meanwhile, Takealot has onboarded vendors who have sold counterfeit or unauthenticated products as I personally experienced with **Summer Fridays lip balm in Brown Sugar, and as widely reported by other consumers. Takealot also allowed Beautessa, a vendor that caused a major scandal at their Mall of Africa pop-up. When Rhode confirmed they do not sell to Beautessa, and customers requested refunds, the vendor disappeared, yet they were accepted onto the platform.

If these are the standards for vendor approval, it is deeply concerning that a small, ethical, and fully compliant business like Bella Nova Beauty is deemed “unexciting.” This treatment undermines trust, fairness, and integrity in the marketplace, and highlights the need for transparent and consistent policies.

We remain committed to serving our customers with integrity, inclusivity, and excellence, and will continue to advocate for fair and ethical business practices in all marketplaces.

CEO of Bella Nova Beauty Pty LTD