Bob Shop Explained

Bob Shop
Company Type:Private company
Foundation:1999
Location:Johannesburg, South Africa
Key People:Andy Higgins, Managing Director; Craig Lubbe, Head of Marketplace
Industry:Online Shopping marketplace
Products:Online auction hosting
Parent:Bob Group
Launch Date:1999

Bob Shop, formerly Bidorbuy or bidorbuy.co.za (officially written as one word, all-lowercase; variations: bid or buy, Bidorbuy and Bid or Buy), is a South African e-commerce website based on an internet auction and online marketplace. Transactions on Bidorbuy are in South African Rand.

History

Bidorbuy (Bob Shop) was launched by Andy Higgins in August 1999 at the height of the dotcom boom, in South Africa. Initial funding and support was provided by Professor Yair Tauman, Professor Abraham Neyman, Mr. Danny Barnea, and Mr. Zohar Gilon. In 2000, it was made available in India and Australia. In 2001, after the dotcom crash, the Australian site was closed and the Indian website was merged with Baazee.com (which was sold to eBay in 2004[1]).

Bidorbuy.co.za became the largest online marketplace South Africa and Africa.[2] In 2010, it invested into PayFast,[3] a local online payment company, and 2014 into the e-commerce company uAfrica.com.[4] It merged with UAfrica, in August 2022 to form Bob Group.[5] In March 2023, UAfrica was rebranded as Bob Go and Bidorbuy as Bob Shop.[6]

Basic concept

Bob Shop's business model is described to be similar to eBay. Listings on the platform are either live auction or listed at a fixed price.

Items traded on the site

Collectible items were the popular listings on Bidorbuy before it became Bob Shop, notably South African coins, stamps, antiques were listed on the platform. In 2008, Bidorbuy introduced auto listings, which attracted car dealerships to list on the site, making it one of the biggest online car shop windows in South Africa at the time. In the same year of 2008 Bid or Buy introduced property listing. Both were removed around 2022 and 2023.

Trading formats

Payment Methods

On April 20, 2010, It was reported that Bidorbuy launched BobPay-EFT an internet payment method that works with major South African banks: Absa, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank.[7]

Charity fund raising

Bidorbuy allowed registered charities and non-profit organizations to raise funds on the site. In 2009, charities raised over R425,000 through sales on this platform.[8] The biggest amount, R300,100 was raised for the Ubuntu Education Fund through the sale of the last VW Citi Golf ever made for the general public by the seller Volkswagen South Africa.[9] [10] In the same year, the Celebrities for Charities Auctions event was held on the site, in which 39 celebrities, most notably the archbishop Desmond Tutu, auctioned their time to raise funds for charities.[11] In 2011, several South African celebrities participated in the Celebrity for Charity auctions benefiting charities including Reach for a Dream and Johannesburg Child Welfare.[12]

In March 2016, the Vodacom Blue Bulls rugby team auctioned jerseys signed by the players on Bidorbuy. Samsung South Africa's The #SamsungHeroes online event, was organized on Bidorbuy in July 2016.[13]

Entrepreneurship advancement activities

Bidorbuy and institutions of higher learning collaborated to encourage entrepreneurship among young South Africans. Is claimed round 60 students of the University of Johannesburg, and Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development participated in January 2010[14] and around 50 students of the Investment Society at the University of Cape Town (InvestSoc) participated in March 2010.[15]

According to Biztech Africa, Bidorbuy claims 20% of the people selling on its site makes a living though the use of the platform.[16]

Notable and controversial listings

Awards

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://pages.ebay.in/community/aboutebay/news/managementteam.html eBay India Management
  2. http://www.randomstruik.co.za/title-page.php?titleID=2606&imprintID=4 Your Guide to Buying and Selling on bidorbuy, Zebra Press, 2009
  3. News: Bidorbuy acquires stake in PayFast. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  4. News: Cloud e-commerce service uAfrica.com raises $1.5mn in funding - ITWeb Africa. Staff Writer. ITWeb Africa. 2018-08-16. en-gb.
  5. Web site: The evolution of bidorbuy and uAfrica . My Broadband . 6 March 2023.
  6. Web site: Much more than a new name . My Broadband . 6 March 2023.
  7. News: BidorBuy adds Paypal payments. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  8. News: Bidorbuy users raise over R425 000 for NGOs in 2009. Barnard. David. 2010-01-06. NGO Pulse. 2018-08-16. en.
  9. Web site: Citi Mk1 and Goodbye Citi Tour. 2009-11-02. 2018-08-16.
  10. Web site: Last Citi Golf goes for R300 000. 2009-12-08. 2018-08-16.
  11. Web site: Celebrities on sale for charity. NickyR. www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com. en-gb. 2018-08-16.
  12. News: Date a celebrity for charity. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  13. News: SA celebrities battle it out for charity on bidorbuy. Media Update. 2018-08-16. en.
  14. http://auctions.org/bidorbuy-co-za-crazy-auction-challenge/2584/ bidorbuy.co.za Crazy Auction Challenge Video
  15. Web site: Bidorbuy auction challenge for students. www.bizcommunity.com. en. 2018-08-16.
  16. News: SA auction site turns sellers into business owners. BiztechAfrica. 2018-08-16.
  17. Web site: BBC News AFRICA SA plastic surgery web auction. news.bbc.co.uk. 2018-08-16.
  18. Web site: South Africa: Bidorbuy To Auction Plastic Surgery in Kwazulu-Natal. article.wn.com. en. 2018-08-16.
  19. News: Mandela money: Spend it or keep it?. Stevic. Lana. The M&G Online. 2018-08-16. en.
  20. News: Motlanthe's stamps of approval. Rossouw. Mandy. The M&G Online. 2018-08-16. en.
  21. Web site: My DigitalLife: Vote for sale . 9 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091110231956/http://www.mydigitallife.co.za/index.php?option=com_content . 10 November 2009 . dead .
  22. Web site: The Good News South Africa Rare South African coin sells for 450,000 on bidorbuy . 9 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120204215747/http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/trade_investment/rare_south_african_coin_sells_for_450_000_on_bidorbuy.html . 4 February 2012 . dead .
  23. News: Enabling all Africans to invest in stock markets. 2017-05-04. Moneyweb. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  24. http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article334487.ece/Helens-going-going-gown The Times Live Helen’s going, going gown
  25. Web site: News iAfrica com: Website pulls loo paper . 9 February 2012 . 25 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141225175129/http://news.iafrica.com/sa/686561.html . dead .
  26. Web site: Screen Africa: Fangs auctioned from Afrikaans vampire film . 9 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110727140525/http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/industry/741634-Fangs-auctioned-from-Afrikaans-vampire-film . 27 July 2011 . dead .
  27. Web site: Business Day. en. 2018-08-16.
  28. News: Online auction site gives bidders chance to play chess grandmaster - Memeburn. 2011-10-31. Memeburn. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  29. News: Bieber's sweaty vest worth thousands. Channel24. 2018-08-16. en.
  30. Web site: TechFinancials - Reliable Tech News. TechFinancials. en-US. 2018-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20150209125807/http://www.techfinancials.co.za/index.php/news/663-world-s-largest-edible-chocolate-painting-on-auction-on-bidorbuy. 9 February 2015. dead.
  31. Web site: SAHA - South African History Archive - Shifty memorabilia on BidorBuy. saha.org.za. 2018-08-16.
  32. Web site: TimesLIVE. www.timeslive.co.za. en. 2018-08-16.
  33. News: A Half-a-Million Coin: Bidorbuy TechFinancials. 2015-04-20. TechFinancials. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  34. Web site: Rare coin set to break record in online auction IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader. www.itnewsafrica.com. en-US. 2018-08-16.
  35. Web site: Demand for water related items spikes on bidorbuy as #DayZero draws closer IT News Africa – Africa's Technology News Leader. www.itnewsafrica.com. en.
  36. Web site: Fifa World Cup sparks interest in soccer memorabilia - Times Live.
  37. http://www.jump.co.za/awards/2011/ Jump Shopping 2011 South African E-Commerce Awards
  38. Web site: SA's bidorbuy wins international award The Media Online. themediaonline.co.za. en-US. 2018-08-16.
  39. Web site: 2012 Winners eCommerce Awards. www.ecommerceawards.co.za. en-ZA. 2018-08-16.
  40. Web site: 2013 Winners eCommerce Awards. www.ecommerceawards.co.za. en-ZA. 2018-08-16.
  41. News: Africacom 2013 award winners. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  42. News: Vote for your favourite app in MTN Business App of the Year Awards - htxt.africa. 2014-07-29. htxt.africa. 2018-08-16. en-GB.
  43. News: AppCircus developers' competition announces South African finalists - htxt.africa. 2014-09-08. htxt.africa. 2018-08-16. en-GB.
  44. News: South Africa’s Best eCommerce Retailers Announced at uAfrica.com’s eCommerce Awards - uAfrica.com Articles. 2014-09-09. uAfrica.com Articles. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  45. News: Best e-commerce stores in South Africa. 2018-08-16. en-US.
  46. Web site: All the e-commerce winners … IT-Online. it-online.co.za. en-US. 2018-08-16.
  47. News: These companies won big at the 2017 PriceCheck Awards - Memeburn. 2017-09-15. Memeburn. 2018-08-16. en-US.

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