TakealotMORE is being introduced—a membership program from Takealot Group designed to make life in South Africa simpler, faster, and more economical. This program combines the best offers from Takealot Group, one of the popular membership programs in South Africa.
Household difficulties often arise not from large purchases, but from small, unexpected needs: running out of dog food, needing to urgently buy a child's birthday gift, or simply lacking the energy to cook late in the evening.
TakealotMORE was created specifically to solve such problems. While many know Takealot as one of South Africa's favorite online stores, and Mr D as a grocery delivery service, TakealotMORE brings all these services together in one place.
For a monthly fee of 39 South African Rand (R39), users receive free nationwide delivery without restrictions, as well as access to exclusive discounts on items ranging from burgers to diapers on both Takealot and Mr D.
There is also a premium option for 99 Rand per month (R99 p/m). Members at this level receive additional bonuses, special MORE offers created exclusively for participants, as well as a free subscription to News24, which costs 109 Rand per month.
Within a typical week, the membership allows for solving many issues: on Monday, when coffee machine capsules run out, a Nespresso order is delivered to the office in under an hour for free. On Wednesday, when there is no desire to cook, food is quickly delivered via Mr D. On Thursday, if a children's party is planned for the next day, a gift from Toy Kingdom will be sent on time. On Friday, if dog food runs out, restocking the order through Absolute Pets on Mr D ensures the pet has food for the weekend, and a large bag can be ordered separately through Takealot, avoiding the need to carry heavy loads.
According to Takealot Group's own data for the past financial year, active membership in TakealotMORE increased by 74% compared to the previous year. The group reported that members collectively saved nearly 700 million Rand through discounts and reduced delivery costs, and TakealotMORE members' orders now account for approximately a quarter of the total sales volume on the platform.
It is important to note that the program is aimed not at increasing purchases, but at making everyday tasks—whether buying coffee, pet food, a gift, or dinner—significantly easier and less burdensome.
Users can start a one-month free trial anywhere in South Africa to take advantage of the benefits of Takealot and Mr D.
A new study has shed light on the inequality in the stem cell donor recruitment system. DKMS Africa insists on the need to eliminate this gap for Black residents of South Africa to give every patient a chance at recovery.
Despite the country valuing diversity, patients from Black residents of South Africa suffering from blood diseases and blood cancer face serious healthcare challenges. For a long time, these patients believed that their ethnicity significantly reduced their chances of finding a suitable stem cell donor. However, a recent groundbreaking study published in Blood Global Hematology refutes this long-held misconception, indicating that the real problem lies not in genetic diversity but in the shortcomings of the current donor registry.
According to Palese Mokohele, Head of Public Relations and Communications at DKMS Africa, the study covered nearly 57,000 South African residents, meticulously mapping HLA profiles across various population groups in the country. HLA markers are crucial for determining compatibility in stem cell transplantation. The results showed an encouraging picture: for a patient from a Black resident of South Africa seeking a match, the probability of finding a full match in the public registry of one million donors is an impressive 80%, while for white residents of South Africa, this figure reaches 81%. Thus, it turned out that the genetic makeup of South African society is not the barrier previously assumed.
Nevertheless, Mokohele notes a worrying reality: the national registry does not adequately reflect the country's demographic composition. Currently, Black Africans constitute 81% of South Africa's population, while white residents make up only 7%. Within the study, Black residents accounted for about 37% of the donor pool, while white residents accounted for approximately 45%. This sharp imbalance in donor representation highlights the urgent need to increase the registry's inclusivity.
Mokohele points out that traditional donor recruitment campaigns focused on more accessible communities, leading to the underrepresentation of many potential Black donors. The study identified regions with dangerously low representation of Black African donors, with entire provinces not providing enough donors for comprehensive matching analysis. Out of 15 subgroups studied by language and province, seven were identified as predominantly white communities, indicating uneven donor distribution.
However, a positive trend is observed: 56% of new donor registrations are now coming from people of color. Yet, the current registry, covering all demographic groups, has a modest 200,000 donors, whereas the goal is to reach one million Black African donors.
The emotional weight of this situation is vividly illustrated by the story of six-year-old Sbali, who was diagnosed with aplastic anemia before she could even say it. Despite her resilience and stability, Sbali has been waiting four years for a life-saving transplant that could end her ordeal. Returning to school, her future remains overshadowed by the fact that she still has not found a match. Previously, such misunderstandings about chances caused feelings of hopelessness in families; however, the new data instills hope.
Mokohele warns that despite the positive momentum, differences persist. Coloured and Indian/Asian people in South Africa face more complex difficulties due to greater genetic diversity, which lowers the probability of finding compatible donors. For example, in a registry of 100,000 donors from their group, a coloured patient has a 51% chance of finding a match nine out of ten times and a 92% chance of finding a match eight out of ten times. Nevertheless, advances in transplant medicine have begun to change the paradigm: recent discoveries show that post-transplant interventions, such as cyclophosphamide, significantly mitigate the negative consequences of donor mismatch, giving new hope to patients who may not receive a perfect match.
The main question posed by this study has finally received an answer: Black South Africans are not inherently harder to match. The task now is to create a donor registry that accurately reflects the nation's demographics. Every new donor added to the registry contributes to achieving this goal and brings patients like Sbali closer to a life-saving transplant.
To achieve real change, the focus must shift to recruiting donors from historically ignored communities—areas in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North Cape, and rural areas where donor bases are currently absent. This task is difficult, expensive, and certainly less appealing, but it represents a concrete action necessary to ensure equal opportunities for all South Africans to save lives through stem cell donation.
Winter is considered one of the best periods for exploring Africa. From June to August, many regions of the continent enjoy dry and cool weather, which is ideal for wildlife viewing, outdoor activities, and scenic travel.
For South African residents, winter trips offer additional advantages: fewer tourists, favorable tour deals, and excellent animal viewing conditions as animals gather around water sources. Whether you prefer safaris, beach holidays, or desert adventures, these five places are worth including in your winter destination list.
During the dry winter months, Kafue National Park in Zambia comes alive. As water sources diminish, wildlife concentrates around the Kafue River, creating exceptional opportunities for fauna observation. Tourists can spot elephants, buffaloes, lions, cheetahs, and endangered African wild dogs.
The Busanga Plateau is particularly impressive, attracting large herds of red lechwe, zebras, and wildebeest, while predators benefit from the abundance of prey. Winter also brings clear skies, comfortable daytime temperatures, and good road conditions, facilitating safaris and access to remote lodges.
Winter is an ideal time to visit the majestic Victoria Falls. Although the water level remains impressive, the reduction in mist allows visitors to enjoy an unobstructed view of the world's largest waterfall. The cool weather is conducive to exploring the surrounding rainforest, taking scenic walks, or photographing the dramatic cliffs and falling water.
This season also coincides with peak safari season in Zimbabwe. In nearby Hwange and Zambezi National Parks, magnificent wildlife can be observed as animals congregate at permanent water points. If your visit aligns with a full moon, you might even see the rare and charming lunar rainbow known as the 'moonbeam.'
Winter marks the peak of the safari season in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, when seasonal floods transform the landscape into a thriving wildlife sanctuary. High water levels allow exploration of the Delta by traditional mokoro or boat, offering a unique perspective on waterways and surrounding fauna. Large herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and red lechwe are frequently encountered, with lions, leopards, and African wild dogs nearby.
Pleasant daytime temperatures, fresh mornings, and fewer mosquitoes make winter one of the most comfortable times to visit. Zanzibar, known for its warm, clear waters and pristine beaches, is a popular destination.
Walvis Bay in Namibia offers a completely different winter getaway, combining dramatic desert landscapes with marine adventures along the Atlantic coast. Cool daytime temperatures make activities such as quad biking, sandboarding, and off-roading through Harbour Sandwich much more pleasant than in hot summer months. The Walvis Bay lagoon becomes a haven for thousands of flamingos, pelicans, and other migratory birds, making it a dream for ornithology enthusiasts.
Boat trips and kayaking excursions also provide excellent opportunities to observe Cape fur seals, dolphins, and migrating whales, while seafood lovers can enjoy Namibia's famous fresh oysters.
For travelers looking to swap jackets for swimsuits, Zanzibar offers the perfect tropical winter escape. The long dry season on the island ensures warm weather, low humidity, and crystal-clear skies, creating ideal conditions for relaxing on white sandy beaches. Calm seas provide exceptional visibility for snorkeling and diving, and in September, visitors can smell the aroma of clove harvesting on the island.
Many tourists combine beach holidays in Zanzibar with safaris on the mainland of Tanzania, where the dry season guarantees outstanding wildlife viewing in iconic parks like the Serengeti. Whether you seek unforgettable wildlife encounters, coastal relaxation, or bucket-list adventures, Africa offers numerous winter destinations. The best part is that these incredible places are only a short flight from South Africa, making them perfect for your next seasonal vacation.
