{"id":600118,"date":"2025-07-10T15:03:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T13:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=600118"},"modified":"2025-07-10T15:03:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T13:03:21","slug":"the-new-courier-tech-driving-online-shopping-in-south-african-townships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/internet-of-things\/600118-the-new-courier-tech-driving-online-shopping-in-south-african-townships.html","title":{"rendered":"The new courier tech driving online shopping in South African townships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Couriers offering smart locker technology have the potential to significantly boost e-commerce in South Africa, particularly in underserved regions like South Africa’s townships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such company looking to leverage online shopping in underserved areas is Bob Group, which has installed several Bob Box smart lockers near South African townships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has plans to expand its network to more areas. Smart lockers offer an affordable and convenient way to send packages weighing less than 20kg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched in early 2024, Bob Box has a relatively small footprint compared to some of its smart locker competitors. As of April 2025, it had 196 smart lockers<\/a> in its network \u2014 80 more than in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Group’s head of product, Jaco Roux, recently told MyBroadband that the company hopes to expand its network to add 600 new lockers by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At launch, Bob Box was primarily focused on business-to-consumer (B2C) courier services. However, it has since launched a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) service, which Roux described as promising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our focus is still largely on B2C, but we’ve seen steady growth in C2C usage and excellent feedback from individuals using the lockers for personal deliveries,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the company’s current logistics partner, Internet Express, has been instrumental in the service’s early stages, Bob Box wants to make its network available to all couriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As part of our longer-term vision, we’re actively working toward opening the Bob Box network to multiple courier partners,” said Roux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The goal is to become fully agnostic, allowing any courier to use the network for business deliveries, returns, or consumer-to-consumer shipments.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2024, Bob Group’s head of shipping services, Anita Erasmus, told MyBroadband that the lockers had gained popularity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s still early to pinpoint the exact reasons. We believe it’s a combination of factors like the convenience of having a pickup point close to where people live and work, and the cost savings,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Bob Box had lockers in six locations near informal settlements in Johannesburg and Cape Town:<\/p>\n\n\n\n