What Futurama does

Futurama Retail (Pty) Ltd is a South African multi-category online and physical retailer operating as a division of Ultranexus (Pty) Ltd. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Somerset West, Western Cape, the company runs a Magento-based e-commerce storefront at futurama.co.za alongside three physical retail locations: a flagship store at the Flags @ Circle 5 Centre, the Hydro Store at Meltz Centre (specializing in hydroponics), and the Outdoor Store at Somerset Mall (specializing in outdoor and camping gear). The company sells an extensive catalog across eight main categories — Optics, Outdoor & Camping, Electronics, Home & Garden, Gadgets & Hobbies, Grow Shop (Hydroponics), and Armoury (Hunting & Tactical) — with the Armoury category alone listing over 15,830 SKUs and Optics over 2,315.

The core technology stack is a standard third-party Magento e-commerce platform supplemented by integrated inventory management, secure payment processing through third-party providers, and customer account functionality including wishlist, product comparison, and order tracking. The company distributes premium international brands such as Swarovski, Trijicon, Nikon, Vortex, Garmin, Insta360, AGM Global Vision, Pulsar, and FLIR, with brand authorization serving as a key competitive lever rather than proprietary technology. Operations are supported by phone-based inside sales, WhatsApp contact, dedicated email channels (e.g., [email protected]), and a carbon-neutral shipping initiative.

Futurama operates a direct-to-consumer retail model targeting individual South African consumers across multiple segments: outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and shooting-sports participants, photography and hobby users, hydroponics growers, and home-and-garden consumers. All pricing is denominated in South African Rand inclusive of 15% VAT, with a price range from budget items around R99 to premium equipment exceeding R32,749. The business model is transactional retail with periodic promotional discounting (e.g., HYDRO Winter Sale). Marketing is conducted through email newsletters, Facebook and Instagram, YouTube product reviews, Google Reviews, and the PriceCheck comparison platform. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company has not raised external funding rounds.

Name

Futurama

Legal name

Futurama Retail (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://futurama.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Futurama is a South African multi-category retailer selling outdoor gear, optics, electronics, home and garden, hydroponics, and hunting and tactical equipment through a Magento e-commerce site and three Somerset West physical stores, targeting individual South African consumers with premium international brand offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Outdoor & Optics Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Binoculars, Scopes & Sport Optics Retail (CRACAHAI)

Keywords

• Outdoor equipment retail
• Optics and telescopes
• Hunting and tactical gear
• Hydroponics supplies
• Specialty e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerset West

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware and merchandise sales: One-time product purchases across multiple categories including outdoor gear, optics, electronics, home and garden products, and specialty items like hydroponics equipment and tactical gear. Products are sold at fixed prices with occasional promotional discounts and seasonal sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Futurama is a South African multi-category retailer selling outdoor gear, optics, electronics, home and garden products, hydroponics equipment, and hunting/tactical gear through an e-commerce platform (futurama.co.za) and two physical retail stores in Somerset West. The company stocks over 15,000+ products from international brands including Swarovski, Trijicon, Nikon, Vortex, Garmin, and Insta360, delivering throughout South Africa.

Product overview

Futurama is a South African multi-category online retail company operating as a unified e-commerce platform. The business offers an extensive portfolio of products across eight main categories: Optics (sports optics, cameras, astronomy, microscopes from Swarovski, Nikon, Vortex, Trijicon), Outdoor & Camping (tents, hiking gear, flashlights, marine equipment), Electronics (GPS, wearables, power banks, audio), Home & Garden (appliances, security cameras, smart home, pet supplies), Gadgets & Hobbies (metal detectors, drones, RC vehicles), Grow Shop/Hydroponics (grow lights, tents, ventilation from Lumii, Powerlux), and Armoury/Hunting & Tactical (night vision, riflescopes, tactical gear from AGM, Trijicon, Pulsar). The company operates physical stores including Hydro Store and Outdoor Store in Somerset West, with delivery services throughout South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Futurama Online Store Multi-category South African online retail platform selling outdoor, optics, electronics, home and garden, gadgets, and tactical/hunting equipment through a unified e-commerce website with delivery services throughout South Africa.
• Optics Sports optics (binoculars, spotting scopes), cameras and video cameras, astronomy equipment (telescopes), microscopes, and accessories from brands such as Swarovski, Nikon, Bushnell, Celestron, Vortex, Trijicon, and Leica.
• Outdoor and Camping Camping and hiking gear including tents, gazebos, furniture, sleeping bags, backpacks, coolers, hydration systems, lighting, cooking equipment, sports and fitness products, off-road vehicle accessories, and marine equipment.
• Electronics GPS devices and trackers, smart watches and wearable technology, power banks and chargers, batteries, storage devices, audio equipment, computer peripherals, and mounting solutions.
• Home and Garden Home appliances, kitchen equipment, bathroom products, housekeeping items, eco-friendly cleaning products, home security and surveillance cameras, smart home devices, garden care and patio entertainment, pet supplies, health and beauty products, and weather monitoring stations.
• Gadgets and Hobbies Metal detectors for various applications including gold detection and diving; remote control vehicles including quadcopters (drones); RC radio transmitters and receivers; and RC batteries and chargers.
• Grow Shop (Hydroponics) Hydroponics and indoor growing equipment including grow lights, grow tents, ballasts, reflectors, ventilation and filtration systems, environmental monitors, nutrients and solutions, and accessories from brands such as Lumii, Powerlux, Garden HighPro, and Pulse.
• Armoury (Hunting and Tactical) Hunting and tactical equipment including night vision optics, riflescopes, shooting accessories, tactical gear, self-defence products, airguns, paintball equipment, archery gear, and knives/blades from brands such as AGM Global Vision, Bushnell, Trijicon, Vortex, Hawke, Pulsar, FLIR, and Gamo.
• Hydro Store Physical Retail Specialized brick-and-mortar retail store in Meltz Centre, Somerset West, offering hands-on shopping for hydroponics and indoor growing equipment with expert staff assistance.
• Outdoor Store Physical Retail Outdoor and camping equipment retail store located in Somerset Mall shopping centre with extended trading hours and specialist staff for hands-on product examination.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Makro (Massmart): South African general merchandise warehouse-club retailer carrying electronics, outdoor and home goods. Comparable as a multi-category big-box retailer serving similar mass-market customers across South Africa.
• Takealot: South Africa's largest general e-commerce marketplace carrying outdoor gear, electronics, and home goods. Comparable as a competing online channel, but lacks Futurama's specialist optics/tactical category depth and curated brand selection.
• Loot.co.za: Established South African online retailer selling books, electronics, gadgets and lifestyle products. Comparable as an online-only consumer retailer in the South African market, though narrower in outdoor/optics depth.
• Amazon South Africa: Global e-commerce giant now operational in South Africa with broad category coverage including outdoor and electronics. Comparable as a competing online channel but lacks Futurama's specialist optics/tactical consultative expertise.
• Game (Massmart): Mass-market South African general merchandise retailer with sporting, electronics and home categories. Comparable on broad multi-category South African retail footprint, though far less specialized than Futurama.

Regional players

• Hirsch's Appliances: South African appliance and electronics retailer with physical showrooms. Comparable on omnichannel electronics/home appliance retail in the South African market.

Emerging players

• Yuppiechef: South African premium online retailer focused on home, kitchen, and lifestyle gadgets. Comparable as a curated, content-led D2C South African e-commerce brand with a similar product-led growth motion.

Direct peers

• Decathlon South Africa: Global sporting goods retailer with South African operations offering camping, hiking, cycling, watersports and fitness equipment at multiple price points. Directly comparable on outdoor/camping product mix and overlapping customer segments.
• Outdoor Warehouse: Specialist South African outdoor and sporting goods retailer with physical stores across the country. Highly comparable to Futurama's Outdoor division in target market (outdoor enthusiasts) and category mix (camping, hiking, fishing gear).
• Cape Union Mart: South Africa's largest specialist outdoor and adventure apparel/equipment retailer with national physical footprint. Directly comparable as a multi-category outdoor retailer serving the same South African enthusiast base, although focused more on apparel than optics/tactical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/futuramacoza
• Instagraminstagram.com/futurama.co.za
• Xx.com/FuturamaCOZA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/futuramacoza

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Futurama