Takealot, South Africa’s leading online retailer, has announced an exclusive strategic partnership with US-based beauty discovery platform, Thirteen Lune.
This marks Thirteen Lune’s first international expansion, bringing a curated selection of founder-led premium global beauty brands to South African consumers via Takealot.
Ryan Ferreira, head of retail at Takealot, comments: “This is far more than the launch of new beauty brands. It represents another important step in our ambition to build South Africa’s most trusted beauty destination. We are incredibly proud that Thirteen Lune selected Takealot as its exclusive South African partner. Together, we’re introducing some of the world’s most exciting beauty brands locally while laying the foundation for a beauty ecosystem that will continue to grow for years to come.”
A new era for beauty in South Africa
Rather than simply expanding its assortment, Takealot sees the partnership as an important step towards building South Africa’s most comprehensive beauty ecosystem – combining exclusive global brands, trusted nationwide fulfilment, expert beauty content and experiences, alongside future opportunities to support local beauty entrepreneurship.
Beauty has become a strategic growth category for Takealot and an increasingly important way for the brand to attract and engage customers. The category also creates opportunities to move beyond traditional eCommerce, connecting digital discovery and convenience with content, community and physical experiences that bring beauty to life.
Influential platform for beauty discovery
Founded in 2020 by Nyakio Grieco, Thirteen Lune has become one of the world’s most influential beauty discovery platforms. It champions innovative founder-led brands, celebrating diverse stories and redefining what modern prestige beauty looks like. Under Nyakio’s leadership, the business has grown from a digital marketplace into a nationally recognised retail platform, including a 2021 to 2025 shop-in-shop partnership across more than 600 JCPenney stores in the United States, earning a reputation for discovering tomorrow’s most exciting beauty brands.
For Grieco, whose Kenyan heritage has shaped her entrepreneurial journey and approach to beauty, launching in South Africa carries a significance that extends beyond business.
“Expanding Thirteen Lune internationally through South Africa is an exciting business milestone and a deeply personal moment for me. My family’s roots are on the African continent, and returning to Africa through a partnership with Takealot feels incredibly meaningful. We were looking for more than a retailer – a partner whose values aligned with ours. Takealot’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for local communities made it the clear choice for us,” says Nyakio Grieco.
Shared values and vision
Beauty is an incredibly exciting category for Takealot and one where the company has significant ambition.
Karla Levick, chief marketing officer of Takealot Group, explains: “We want to play a leading role in shaping the future of beauty retail in South Africa, giving customers access to the world’s most exciting brands while creating a destination where beauty can be discovered and experienced in entirely new ways.”
This partnership significantly strengthens Takealot’s premium and luxury beauty proposition, while giving the company even more opportunity to bring the category to life through content, creators and experiences that extend beyond the screen.
“For us, this is about building something much bigger than an online beauty store. It’s about building a beauty destination,” adds Levick.
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