Gumtree South Africa

What Gumtree South Africa does

Gumtree South Africa (Pty) Ltd operates one of South Africa's largest free online classifieds marketplaces, headquartered in Cape Town and founded in 2005. The platform enables peer-to-peer and SMB-to-consumer transactions across categories including vehicles, property, jobs, electronics, furniture, pets, fashion, and services, with 358,979+ live ads distributed across all nine South African provinces. Underlying technology consists of a web platform at gumtree.co.za plus native iOS and Android applications, augmented by partner integrations for payments (TradeSafe escrow, RCS Buy Now Pay Later), logistics (Pargo's 4,000+ click-and-collect pickup points), and a proprietary Gumtree Wallet for seller payouts.

The company's commercial model combines a freemium consumer base with multiple monetization layers: free ad posting across all categories, transaction-based fees on Pay Online Securely purchases (eligible items R50–R20,000), sponsored/featured listing placements, and a Gumtree PRO subscription tier aimed at business and commercial sellers via the Gumtree for Business sub-brand. Customer segmentation is hybrid, with individual consumers as the primary audience and SMB and mid-market commercial sellers (vehicle dealers, property agents, retailers, wholesalers) as a secondary monetizable segment. The workforce of 501–1,000 employees and absence of disclosed funding rounds indicate a mature, operationally substantial private business rather than an early-stage venture.

Name

Gumtree South Africa

Legal name

Gumtree South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://gumtree.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gumtree South Africa operates a free online classifieds marketplace headquartered in Cape Town, enabling individuals and SMBs across all nine South African provinces to buy and sell vehicles, property, jobs, electronics, and services, with integrated payments, escrow, and nationwide delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Classifieds Marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

Generalist C2C Classifieds Marketplaces (CRAFAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Merchant-Integrated BNPL (Checkout POS Financing) (FSAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Online classifieds marketplace
• Peer-to-peer listings
• Second-hand goods trading
• Escrow payment services
• Vehicles property jobs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: Gumtree earns transaction fees through the Pay Online Securely service which processes payments for eligible listings valued between R50 - R20,000. The platform holds funds in escrow until transactions are completed successfully.
2. Featured/Sponsored Listings: Sellers can pay to promote their listings for increased visibility in search results and category pages.
3. Gumtree PRO Business Subscriptions: Business-focused subscription tier offering promotional opportunities and enhanced features for commercial sellers on the Gumtree for Business platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gumtree South Africa operates a free online classifieds marketplace that enables individuals and businesses to post and browse listings across categories including vehicles, property, jobs, electronics, pets, fashion, home & garden, and services. The platform monetizes through transaction fees on its Pay Online Securely escrow payment service (powered by TradeSafe), featured/sponsored listings, and Gumtree PRO business subscriptions, while supporting delivery nationwide through its Pargo integration with 4,000+ pickup points.

Product overview

Gumtree South Africa operates a free online classifieds marketplace platform enabling peer-to-peer buying and selling across diverse categories. The core product is the Gumtree Classifieds Platform, supplemented by secure transaction services including Pay Online Securely (powered by TradeSafe escrow) and Gumtree Wallet for seller payouts. The platform integrates Pargo for nationwide delivery to 4,000+ pickup points and offers Buy Now Pay Later through RCS. A dedicated Gumtree for Business tier serves commercial sellers with enhanced features. Mobile apps for iOS and Android extend the marketplace to mobile users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pay Online Securely: Gumtree's secure payment and delivery system that protects buyers and sellers during online transactions.
• Gumtree PRO

Products and services

• Gumtree Classifieds Platform Gumtree's core online classifieds marketplace enabling users across South Africa to buy, sell, and trade goods and services. The platform hosts 358,979+ live ads across categories including vehicles, electronics, property, jobs, pets, fashion, home & garden, and services, and is available via web and mobile applications.
• Pay Online Securely A secure online payment and delivery system that protects both buyers and sellers in transactions on the Gumtree platform. Holds buyer payments in escrow via TradeSafe until transactions are completed successfully, supports items valued between R50-R20,000, offers optional Pargo delivery or in-person collection, and provides a 24-hour dispute resolution window.
• Gumtree for Business A specialized platform tier for businesses with enhanced features and promotional opportunities, including dedicated business seller support, promotional tools, analytics, and access to Gumtree PRO subscription benefits. Targets commercial sellers, dealerships, property agents, and SMBs reaching consumers on the platform.
• Gumtree Wallet Digital wallet integrated within the Gumtree platform where sellers receive payments after successful transactions. Sellers can use wallet funds for purchases on Gumtree or withdraw to their bank account, typically within 24 hours of buyer confirmation.
• Gumtree Mobile App Native mobile applications for iOS and Android that enable users to access classifieds, manage listings, communicate with buyers and sellers, complete secure payments via Pay Online Securely, and track deliveries on the go.
• Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) with RCS A Buy Now Pay Later payment option on the Gumtree marketplace, launched in collaboration with RCS Consumer Finance, that enables RCS cardholders to split purchases into installment payments when buying Pay Now-enabled listings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 358,979+ active listings on platform
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RCS (Remote Computer Services)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2026Gumtree South Africa collaborated with RCS, a consumer finance company, to launch a Buy Now Pay Later feature for Pay Now-enabled listings. This partnership enables RCS cardholders to split purchases into installment payments when buying through Gumtree's marketplace, expanding payment options for Gumtree users while giving RCS access to Gumtree's classifieds customer base.
• PargocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPargo is Gumtree's trusted delivery partner, providing click-and-collect delivery services across South Africa with over 4,000 pickup points. The partnership enables nationwide delivery of purchased items, with Pargo handling logistics from seller drop-off points to buyer collection locations while protecting buyer privacy.
• TradeSafecoreTechnology or IntegrationTradeSafe provides Gumtree's secure, bank-supported payment escrow service that holds buyer payments until items are delivered as promised. This partnership ensures transaction security for both buyers and sellers using the Pay Online Securely feature.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Property24: Property24 is South Africa's leading property classifieds platform, competing directly with Gumtree's property and rentals categories. Its vertical specialization and agent relationships make it a meaningful sub-category competitor.
• Careers24: Careers24 is a South African vertical classifieds platform focused on jobs, competing with Gumtree's jobs category. Its specialized focus on recruitment gives it depth in a category where Gumtree offers generalist listings.
• AutoTrader South Africa: AutoTrader is a specialized vertical classifieds platform focused on vehicles, competing with Gumtree's automotive category. While not a generalist, it commands significant share within the high-value vehicle segment where Gumtree also operates.

Direct peers

• Facebook Marketplace: Facebook Marketplace is a free C2C listings feature within Facebook that competes directly with Gumtree's generalist classifieds offering, leveraging Facebook's existing social graph to provide zero-cost listings across vehicles, property, and general merchandise in South Africa.
• OfferUp: OfferUp is a US-based mobile C2C marketplace with comparable freemium model, local pickup focus, and category breadth. While geographically separate, its product and monetization approach closely mirror Gumtree's mobile-first classifieds strategy.
• Jiji South Africa: Jiji is a pan-African C2C classifieds platform with strong presence in South Africa, offering similar categories (vehicles, electronics, property, jobs) and a comparable mobile-first product, directly competing for the same user base as Gumtree.
• Carousell: Carousell is a mobile-first C2C classifieds marketplace operating primarily in Southeast Asia, with comparable business model, mobile UX, and category mix. It acquired OLX globally and represents a peer in business model and product design rather than direct geography.
• OLX South Africa: OLX is one of Gumtree's primary direct competitors in South Africa, operating a C2C classifieds marketplace with similar categories (vehicles, property, jobs, general goods) and a comparable freemium model targeting the same South African consumer base.

Broad incumbents

• Mercari: Mercari operates a mobile C2C marketplace with built-in shipping and payment infrastructure. While Japan/US focused, its integrated escrow and shipping model parallels Gumtree's Pay Online Securely + Pargo stack.

Regional players

• Marktplaats: Marktplaats is the Netherlands' leading C2C classifieds platform and historically a sister property within the Gumtree global family. It offers a comparable generalist classifieds model in a different geography and serves as a relevant international benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gumtreecoza
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GumtreeSouthAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/GumtreeSouthAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gumtree-south-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gumtree South Africa