2012: A Midrand start with a practical focus
Buy-This Deals began in 2012 in Midrand, Gauteng, at a time when many households were looking for better value without giving up on useful everyday products. The first range was kept practical from the start, with home items, kitchen essentials and clever gadgets chosen for real use in South African homes. The aim was never to stock everything. It was to stock the right things, at the right price, and make buying them straightforward.
Thabiso Mokoena set the tone early on by building the business around reliable supply, honest product selection and service that people could trust. In those first months, the team learnt what customers wanted most: clear product details, quick responses and a simple way to place orders without fuss. That early discipline helped shape the business as it grew from a small Midrand base into a daily-deals operation with a wider reach.
2013 to 2015: Learning the market and building trust
The next few years were about listening closely to South African shoppers and tightening the range. The team watched which products moved quickly, which items suited first-time buyers and which deals made the most sense for homes, apartments and small businesses. This helped Buy-This Deals refine its mix and improve the way it presented products, packing and delivery information.
By this stage, the business was also shaping the support services that would later become part of the everyday customer experience. Deal Alerts, Gift Wrapping, Bulk Order Help and Wishlist Support came from real customer needs, not guesswork. People wanted a quick way to keep track of offers, send gifts and get help with larger orders, and those requests guided the next phase of growth.
- Product selection became more focused on home, kitchen and gadget use cases.
- Customer care processes were improved to handle order questions and delivery queries.
- The team began building stronger links with courier partners for wider national delivery.
2016 to 2018: Delivery reaches more homes across South Africa
As order volumes grew, delivery became one of the most important parts of the business. Buy-This Deals expanded courier reach so shoppers in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha could receive their orders more reliably. That mattered for customers buying everyday household items, especially when they needed goods quickly or wanted to send a gift to another city.
The logistics side of the business grew more structured during these years. Pieter Smit helped strengthen delivery coordination, while the team improved packaging so products could travel well in South African conditions. Coastal humidity in places like Cape Town and Gqeberha, as well as the heat and dust common in inland areas, meant goods had to be packed carefully. The business also had to factor in load-shedding, which affected processing times and made planning more important than ever.
- Courier delivery was expanded across major metros and surrounding areas.
- Packaging methods were adjusted for fragile kitchenware and small electronics.
- Order tracking and delivery updates became more important for customer confidence.
2019 to 2021: Adapting to changing buying habits
These years brought major changes in how South Africans shopped and how they managed household spending. Customers looked for value, convenience and better ways to compare products before buying. Buy-This Deals responded by sharpening its daily-deals approach and making the buying process easier for people who wanted good products without long wait times or complicated steps.
During this period, the team became more deliberate about product sourcing and account support. Ayanda Dlamini helped shape the merchandising mix so the range stayed relevant, while Zanele Khumalo focused on customer care and practical support for returns, queries and delivery follow-ups. The business also gave more attention to secure checkout, which mattered to shoppers who wanted peace of mind when ordering online.
It was also a time when many customers were ordering in smaller budgets but more regularly, often looking for home gift ideas, kitchen tools and handy gadgets that made day-to-day life easier. Buy-This Deals kept its focus on items that offered clear usefulness and fair value.
2022 to 2023: A stronger team and better service lines
As the business matured, the team around it became more specialised. Megan Jacobs helped keep product content clear and consistent, while Aiden Naidoo guided the e-commerce side so the ordering experience stayed organised and easy to follow. The business continued to serve customers from its Midrand base, with a sharper structure behind the scenes and better coordination between merchandising, customer care and logistics.
More service lines were added or refined as customer needs became clearer. Corporate Gifting and Bulk Order Help became more important for offices, schools and event organisers. Product Sourcing also grew in value for people who wanted help finding a specific item or a practical substitute. The company kept building on the same principle it started with in 2012: give people useful products and support them properly before and after the sale.
- Support expanded for gifts, bulk purchases and account queries.
- Customer requests were handled through the enquiry form on the contact page.
- The range stayed centred on home, kitchen and gadgets, rather than chasing every trend.
Today: A national daily-deals business with local roots
Today, Buy-This Deals serves shoppers across South Africa from Johannesburg and Pretoria to Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha, along with East Rand and West Rand delivery areas. The business is still based in Midrand, but its reach has grown well beyond Gauteng. What has not changed is the way it works: careful selection, clear service and an understanding that customers want value they can use in everyday life.
The company story is still being written, but the foundation remains the same. Thabiso Mokoena leads the business with a team that includes Lerato Nkosi in Operations, Pieter Smit in Logistics, Zanele Khumalo in Customer Care, Ayanda Dlamini in Merchandising, Aiden Naidoo in E-commerce and Megan Jacobs in Content. Together, they keep the focus on deal alerts, secure checkout, delivery queries, returns assistance, wishlist support and practical help for South African households.
From that first year of trading in 2012 to now, Buy-This Deals has stayed close to what people actually need. Not every home needs the same things, and not every shopper buys the same way. But good value, reliable delivery and honest service never go out of date.