bidorbuy
Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy) is a South African horizontal online marketplace operated by Bob Group, connecting individual consumers and SMB sellers across 30+ categories via auction and fixed-price formats, supported by an in-house ecosystem of payments, logistics, and locker services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBryanston, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What bidorbuy does
Bob Group (Pty) Ltd., operating as Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy), is a South African horizontal online marketplace founded in 1999 and headquartered in Bryanston. The platform connects individual consumers and small-to-medium sellers across more than 30 categories — including electronics, fashion, home goods, collectibles, automotive parts, and groceries — supporting both English-auction and fixed-price listing formats. Trust mechanisms include a verified-seller identity-verification program and a Buyer Protection program with money-back guarantee, and the platform is accessible via web and native mobile apps on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery.
The company generates revenue primarily through marketplace commissions on completed transactions, with seller fee schedules not publicly disclosed; buyers pay separately for shipping starting at R35.00. Beyond the core marketplace, Bob Group has built an adjacent ecosystem of three wholly-owned service brands: Bob Pay (payment processing), Bob Go (delivery and logistics), and Bob Box (parcel locker and storage/fulfillment). Checkout is supported across card networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club), mobile wallets (Apple Pay), and South African instant-payment rails (PayShap, Capitec Pay, Absa Pay, Nedbank Direct EFT). Geographic scope is domestic South Africa only, with no disclosed international expansion.
The go-to-market is self-serve and digital-first, with no physical retail footprint. Customer acquisition relies on promotional event vehicles (Crazy Wednesday, Snap Friday, Weekend Specials), content marketing via the Bob Shop Blog, email newsletters, and app-store presence. The leadership team comprises CEO Jaco Jonker and CTO Gerd Naschenweng. A prior acquisition — UbuntuDeal Group Buying on 2011-04-11 — extended the company briefly into group-buying, and the rebrand from bidorbuy to Bob Shop consolidated the marketplace and its sub-brands under a unified corporate identity.
bidorbuy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- bidorbuy
- Legal name
- Bob Group (Pty) Ltd.
- Website
- https://bidorbuy.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy) is a South African horizontal online marketplace operated by Bob Group, connecting individual consumers and SMB sellers across 30+ categories via auction and fixed-price formats, supported by an in-house ecosystem of payments, logistics, and locker services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
bidorbuy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Marketplace
- NAICS
- General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)
Keywords
Where bidorbuy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bryanston
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
bidorbuy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Marketplace transaction fees: Platform charges sellers a commission on completed transactions. Supports both auction (English auction) and fixed-price sale formats. Sellers can list products for sale and auction.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Seller transaction fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
bidorbuy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy) is a South African online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers through both auction-based (English auction) and fixed-price trading across more than 30 product categories including electronics, fashion, home goods, collectibles, automotive parts, and groceries. Sellers list products on the platform and pay a commission on completed transactions, while buyers can purchase immediately at a fixed price or place bids on auction listings, with a Buyer Protection money-back guarantee and verified seller program supporting trust.
Product overview
Bob Shop operates as a unified marketplace platform with an integrated ecosystem of four connected services. The core product is the Bob Shop marketplace (formerly bidorbuy), a South African online shopping platform supporting both auction-based and fixed-price trading across 30+ categories including electronics, fashion, home goods, collectibles, automotive, and groceries. Surrounding the core marketplace are three supporting services: Bob Pay for payment processing, Bob Go for logistics and delivery, and Bob Box for parcel locker/storage solutions. Together, these four services form an end-to-end e-commerce ecosystem enabling sellers to list products and buyers to purchase with buyer protection, verified seller verification, and tracked shipping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bob Pay: Payment service platform
- Bob Go
- Bob Box
Products and services
- Bob Shop (bidorbuy) Marketplace South Africa's online marketplace platform enabling buyers and sellers to transact via auction-based (English auction) and fixed-price trading across 30+ categories including electronics, fashion, home goods, collectibles, automotive parts, and groceries. Includes Buyer Protection money-back guarantee, verified seller program, tracked shipping, and is accessible via website and native iOS, Android, and Huawei mobile apps.
- Bob Pay Payment processing service within the Bob ecosystem that enables secure transactions on the Bob Shop marketplace, supporting multiple payment methods including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, PayShap, EFT, Apple Pay, Capitec Pay, Nedbank Direct EFT, and Absa Pay.
- Bob Go Delivery and logistics service within the Bob ecosystem providing shipping solutions for marketplace transactions, supporting tracked shipping for buyers and sellers on Bob Shop.
- Bob Box Parcel locker and storage service within the Bob ecosystem offering convenient collection and delivery options for marketplace orders, supporting the fulfillment of Bob Shop transactions.
Companies that use bidorbuy
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
bidorbuy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
bidorbuy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
bidorbuy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
bidorbuy social profiles
Digital presencebidorbuy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
bidorbuy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
bidorbuy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
bidorbuy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
bidorbuy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about bidorbuy
What does bidorbuy do?
Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy) is a South African online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers through both auction-based (English auction) and fixed-price trading across more than 30 product categories including electronics, fashion, home goods, collectibles, automotive parts, and groceries. Sellers list products on the platform and pay a commission on completed transactions, while buyers can purchase immediately at a fixed price or place bids on auction listings, with a Buyer Protection money-back guarantee and verified seller program supporting trust.
Is bidorbuy a public or private company?
bidorbuy is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was bidorbuy founded?
bidorbuy was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is bidorbuy based?
bidorbuy is headquartered in Bryanston, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does bidorbuy make money?
One revenue line is on record: marketplace transaction fees.
Does bidorbuy have an API?
No public API is recorded for bidorbuy.
What industry is bidorbuy in?
bidorbuy's product category is Online Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAAAC, Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 455 and its SIC code is 5331.