Takealot.com’s worthy cause
#BUYABOOK: CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT READING MATERIAL FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE
‘It’s a way for our customers to give back to those in need, at a cost of just R20 per purchase.’
If you’ve secretly shopped for EL James’ racy 50 Shades of Grey online, you’re not alone. In fact, the author’s most recent title, Grey, is currently the bestselling title in Takealot.com’s romance novel range.
The retailer’s bestselling book across all categories for 2017 to date is The Bikini Body 28-Day Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Guide by popular Australian healthy lifestyle guru Kayla Itsines, with Trevor Noah’s autobiography Born a Crime nabbing second place.
While this gives some insight into South Africans’ reading habits, during national book week South Africa’s leading online store is also encouraging bookworms to buy a book for a good cause.
The South African Book Development Council’s (SABDC) #BUYABOOK campaign, which Takealot is supporting, gives customers the chance to donate books to those who wouldn’t otherwise have reading material – by offering selected titles at the affordable price of just R20.
A very worthwhile cause in a country where 58% of households – a worrying increase from the 2006 figure of 51% – don’t own a single leisure book.
The campaign was spurred following the SABDC’s 2016 survey on national reading behaviour, which showed that only 14% of adult South Africans are committed book readers, with leisure reading levels having dropped since 2006.
Julie-Anne Walsh, chief marketing officer for Takealot.com, says the online store is delighted to be involved in the #BUYABOOK campaign.
“Our selection of #BUYABOOK titles – from Khaya Dlanga’s autobiography to bedtime stories for kids – is a way for our customers to give back to those in need. For R20 each, you can add several books to your shopping cart, which we encourage customers to donate to local children, young people and adults who do not have such easy access to books.”
As part of the campaign, Takealot.com researched South Africans’ current reading interests by analysing data on the bestsellers from its extensive book range of over 3.5 million titles
Walsh says that the reporting showed that Roald Dahl endures as a favourite children’s author.
“Roald Dahl’s 15 Book Boxset of his classic family favourites is a stand-out bestseller from our children’s range. It is great to see that this collection of offbeat, funny books – wonderful for unlocking the imagination – are still on kids’ reading lists.”
Topping the “self-help” category is Start with Why by Simon Sinek, which taps into the mod- ern need to find a purpose in our frenetic lifestyles. War Cry by the enduringly popular Wilbur Smith tops the fiction list as the latest in the Courtney family adventure series.
Walsh says the retailer is looking forward to playing a part in national book week.
“Books have always been one of Takealot’s biggest and most popular departments. We must all do what we can to support those less fortunate with limited access to fresh reading material.”
Visit to get involved in the #BUYABOOK campaign or to shop their wide range of titles.