Takealot has announced the launch of its on-demand delivery service, which offers same-day delivery for a variety of products.

Named TakealotNOW, customers can find the service in the Mr D delivery app. The app already offers grocery delivery with Pick n Pay and on-demand food orders from restaurants.

With TakealotNOW, customers will be able to order products such as books, electronics, household items, pet accessories, and more.

You can even order loadshedding tech such as UPSes, rechargeable lamps and bulbs, and portable power stations.

How does TakealotNOW work?

You can access the new service through the Mr D app.

Open the app, select the “Shops” tab, and then select TakealotNOW.

This will load the products you can order from the service for same-day delivery.

The service is currently in its trial period and is available exclusively in specific Cape Town northern suburbs: Durbanville, Bellville, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Kuilsriver, and Parow. According to the company, more area launches are planned in the near future.

So why did Takealot launch the service?

“Online shoppers in South Africa are growing increasingly used to quick turnarounds on delivery for products like groceries and we’ve seen a steady increase in sales in certain categories when we offer our popular same-day, next-day delivery or collection options,” says Frederik Zietsman, CEO at Takealot.com said in a statement.

“TakealotNOWwill enable us to fulfill customers’ need for products, delivered faster than ever before while offering an unbeatable range across categories not yet available in the on-demand world.”

The launch of the service also comes amid expected competition from Amazon. There are reported plans for Amazon to launch its retail platform and fulfillment centres in South Africa in the next few years. However, no official confirmation has come from Amazon.