How To Make Money Online Reselling: A Practical Guide for South Africans

If you’re searching for how to make money online reselling, you’re looking at one of the most realistic, low‑barrier ways to start an online business from South Africa. “Reselling” simply means buying products (or accessing them via a supplier) and selling them at a profit, usually through online marketplaces or your own store.

Below is a practical, fact‑based guide tailored to South Africans, with examples and resources from credible sources you can use right away.

1. What Is Online Reselling?

Online reselling covers several models:

Retail arbitrage – buying discounted items and reselling at higher prices.
Online arbitrage – sourcing items from one online store and selling on another.
Dropshipping – selling products you don’t physically stock; your supplier ships directly to the customer.
Buying used goods and flipping – used phones, clothing, furniture, collectibles, etc.

Local marketplaces make this accessible. South Africans commonly buy and sell used and new goods on platforms like:

Facebook Marketplace – frequently used for second‑hand items and local deals. Facebook’s own help documentation describes Marketplace as a place “to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community” worldwide, including South Africa (Meta / Facebook Help Center).
Gumtree South Africa – a major classifieds platform where individuals and businesses list items for sale (Gumtree South Africa).
OLX (legacy in SA) – OLX historically offered a local classifieds marketplace; however, OLX shut down operations in South Africa in 2022, as reported by BusinessTech.

You can build a reselling side hustle or full‑time business around these and other platforms.

2. Choosing a Profitable Reselling Model in South Africa

To succeed with how to make money online reselling, you need a model that fits your capital, time and risk tolerance.

2.1 Dropshipping (No Inventory)

Dropshipping lets you sell products online without holding stock. When a customer buys, you order from a supplier who ships directly to them. This is popular for beginners because it reduces upfront costs.

In South Africa, well‑known dropshipping‑friendly wholesalers and platforms include:

Bidorbuy / Bob Shop – a large South African online marketplace that supports resellers and drop‑shippers. Bob Group explains that Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy) lets individuals and businesses list products and handle orders via the platform, and supports integration with couriers (Bob Group / Bob Shop).
Dropstore – a South African dropshipping marketplace connecting online store owners to local suppliers. Dropstore describes itself as “a South African supplier marketplace for dropshipping,” integrating with Shopify and WooCommerce so you can add products to your store and automatically sync inventory (Dropstore).

These platforms make it easier to get started with how to make money online reselling via dropshipping, especially if you’re using a Shopify or WooCommerce store.

2.2 Retail and Online Arbitrage

Retail and online arbitrage involve finding under‑priced items and reselling them where buyers will pay more.

Examples:

Clearance items from local retailers.
Under‑priced items on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree resold via other channels.
Niche products from local wholesalers sold on platforms like Bob Shop.

South African e‑commerce has grown significantly. A 2022 report by World Wide Worx and Mastercard cited by Mastercard noted that online retail in South Africa grew steadily and that local marketplaces like Bob Shop and Takealot play a central role in e‑commerce adoption (Mastercard SA e‑commerce insights). This demand creates opportunities for resellers who can source products locally and list them online where there’s more traffic.

2.3 Second‑Hand and Refurbished Goods

Reselling used or refurbished items can be profitable, especially electronics, clothing, and furniture.

In South Africa:

Platforms like Cash Crusaders buy and sell used goods, showing there’s strong demand in this market. Cash Crusaders reports over 220 stores in Southern Africa dealing in second‑hand and new goods (Cash Crusaders company information).
Informal sellers frequently use Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree to flip second‑hand phones, laptops, and household items.

To apply how to make money online reselling in this niche, you can:

Source under‑priced used items locally (yard sales, classifieds, Facebook groups).
Clean, test, or lightly refurbish them.
Relist with better photos, descriptions, and pricing.

3. Where to Sell: Key South African Platforms

Knowing where to list your items is central to how to make money online reselling. Each platform has its own fees, rules and audience.

3.1 Bob Shop (formerly bidorbuy)

Bob Shop is one of South Africa’s largest online marketplaces, allowing both auctions and fixed‑price sales.

Bob Group describes Bob Shop as an e‑commerce marketplace where individuals and businesses can sell a wide range of products to South African buyers, with an integrated payment system (Pay‑U and others) and shipping options (Bob Group / Bob Shop).
Sellers pay listing and/or success fees depending on the category and selling format.

Bob Shop is well‑suited if you want to build a serious reselling presence with ratings and repeat buyers.

3.2 Takealot Marketplace (For Approved Sellers)

South Africa’s largest general online retailer, Takealot, operates a marketplace model that allows third‑party sellers to list products.

Takealot describes its Marketplace as a platform where external sellers can list products on Takealot’s website and app, using Takealot’s fulfilment network and customer base, in exchange for commission and fees (Takealot Marketplace information).
There is an application/approval process, and sellers must meet performance and compliance standards.

This is better suited for established resellers with consistent supply and capacity to meet service levels.

3.3 Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is extremely popular in South Africa for informal buying and selling:

Meta’s help page explains that Marketplace lets you list items locally, communicate via Messenger, and arrange payments and collection with buyers (Meta / Facebook Help Center).

There are no platform listing fees, but you handle logistics and payments yourself, so you must be careful about scams and insist on safe payment and meeting arrangements.

3.4 Gumtree South Africa

Gumtree is a major classifieds site:

Gumtree South Africa allows users to list items in categories like vehicles, property, electronics, home & garden, and jobs; buyers contact sellers directly through the platform (Gumtree South Africa).

It’s ideal for local sales of bulky or second‑hand goods, but like Facebook Marketplace, you must handle payment and safety yourself.

3.5 Your Own Online Store

If you want to build a brand for how to make money online reselling, consider your own e‑commerce site:

Shopify – Shopify provides an all‑in‑one platform for creating an online store, with support for South African payment gateways such as PayFast and PayGate via third‑party integrations (Shopify Payments and local gateways overview).
WooCommerce (WordPress) – WooCommerce is an open‑source e‑commerce plugin for WordPress. WordPress.org explains that WooCommerce supports multiple payment gateways and is used globally to build online stores (WooCommerce on WordPress.org).

You can connect local dropshipping suppliers like Dropstore directly into these platforms to automate product import and order fulfilment (Dropstore integrations).

4. Finding Products to Resell

Choosing the right products is central to how to make money online reselling profitably.

4.1 Using Marketplaces to Research Demand

You can research:

Top‑selling categories on Bob Shop by browsing each category and seeing the number of bids or sold items (Bob Shop).
Trending items on Takealot by looking at best‑seller sections and customer reviews (Takealot).
High‑demand items in your local area via Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, paying attention to items that are listed and sold quickly.

4.2 Using Google Trends to Gauge Interest

Google Trends lets you see how often keywords are searched over time and by region. For example, you can compare interest in terms like “sneakers”, “phone covers” or “gym equipment” within South Africa:

Google provides a free tool, Google Trends, where you can view the relative search volume of terms by country and over time (Google Trends).

This helps you decide which niches have consistent or growing demand.

4.3 Local Wholesalers and Suppliers

For South Africans focusing on how to make money online reselling physical goods, local wholesalers reduce shipping time and import complications.

Examples of relevant resources:

RS Components South Africa – an authorised distributor of electronics and industrial products in SA, selling in bulk to businesses and individuals (RS South Africa). Electronics resellers often buy components or tools in bulk to bundle or resell.
Makro – a wholesaler and retailer that offers bulk deals. Makro’s site indicates that it supplies both retail and business customers with multi‑pack and bulk offers (Makro South Africa).

You can source products during promotions or bulk discounts and then resell online at market prices.

5. Handling Payments and Delivery in South Africa

Getting paid safely and delivering orders reliably is a core part of how to make money online reselling.

5.1 Payment Gateways

For your own online store:

PayFast – a South African online payment gateway. PayFast explains that it enables merchants to accept payments via credit/debit card, Instant EFT, and more, without needing a merchant bank account, and is widely integrated with Shopify and WooCommerce (PayFast).
PayGate – another South African payment service provider that lets merchants process card payments online (PayGate).

Using these gateways reduces chargeback risk and builds trust compared with manual EFTs.

For peer‑to‑peer platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, cash or instant EFT is common, but you must follow safety recommendations.

5.2 Courier and Shipping Options

You need reliable courier partners for reselling:

The Courier Guy – one of South Africa’s best‑known courier services. The Courier Guy notes it provides nationwide door‑to‑door courier services, including e‑commerce API integrations (The Courier Guy).
PUDO by The Courier Guy – a locker‑to‑locker service where customers drop parcels at PUDO lockers and recipients collect them, often used by smaller e‑commerce sellers (PUDO by The Courier Guy).
Paxi by PEP – a store‑to‑store parcel service via PEP stores, as described on Pep’s Paxi website: customers can send parcels between PEP outlets at a fixed price, often used by informal online sellers (Paxi – PEP’s parcel service).

Choosing cheaper, tracked services helps maintain profit while keeping customers informed.

6. Legal and Tax Considerations in South Africa

When how to make money online reselling moves from hobby to business, pay attention to compliance.

6.1 Business Registration

You can start selling as a sole proprietor without formal registration, but if you plan to grow:

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) explains that you can register a private company (Pty) Ltd online, providing a legal entity separate from you as an individual (CIPC company registration information).
CIPC notes that company registration offers benefits such as limited liability and easier access to funding.

Many resellers begin as individuals and later register a Pty Ltd for credibility and protection.

6.2 Tax on Online Income

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) treats income from online reselling as taxable:

SARS states that all income, including from informal trading, freelancing, and online sales, is subject to income tax if it exceeds the annual tax threshold (SARS – Income Tax for Individuals).
SARS also explains that if your business turnover exceeds a certain threshold (currently R1 million in any 12‑month period), you may be required to register for VAT (SARS – VAT Registration).

Keep records of purchases, sales, courier costs, marketplace fees and other expenses to calculate taxable profit accurately.

7. Practical Steps: How To Make Money Online Reselling From South Africa

Here is a structured approach to apply how to make money online reselling:

Pick a niche and model
Use Google Trends for interest, browse best‑sellers on Takealot and Bob Shop, and check what moves quickly on Facebook Marketplace (Google Trends, Takealot, Bob Shop).
Secure suppliers
- For dropshipping: connect your Shopify or WooCommerce store to Dropstore (Dropstore).
- For bulk and arbitrage: use wholesalers like Makro for deals (Makro South Africa), or specialised distributors such as RS Components for certain product lines (RS South Africa).
Choose your selling platform
- Start lean with Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree if you have very little capital (Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree South Africa).
- Move to Bob Shop or Takealot Marketplace once you have reliable supply and want more reach (Bob Shop, Takealot Marketplace).
- Build your own store using Shopify or WooCommerce for long‑term brand control (Shopify help, WooCommerce).
Set up payments and shipping
- Integrate PayFast or PayGate in your store (PayFast, PayGate).
- Partner with The Courier Guy, PUDO, or Paxi depending on your product size and customer base (The Courier Guy, PUDO, Paxi).
Optimise your listings
For SEO and marketplace search:
- Use clear product titles including your main keyword and product type. For example: “How To Make Money Online Reselling – Starter Kit: Phone Accessories Bundle.”
- Add detailed descriptions, specifications, and high‑quality photos.
Track numbers and stay compliant
- Log all costs and revenue.
- If income grows, consider registering a company through CIPC (CIPC) and stay within SARS guidelines on tax and VAT (SARS Personal Income Tax, SARS VAT).

8. SEO Tips If You Build Your Own Site

Since your target keyword is “How To Make Money Online Reselling”, here’s how to optimise your site (for example, at `https://www.howtomakemoneyonline.co.za/`):

Use the keyword in key places
- Page title: “How To Make Money Online Reselling in South Africa (Beginner’s Guide)”
- H1 heading: “How To Make Money Online Reselling in South Africa”
- Include it naturally in the introduction and several sub‑headings.
Create supporting content
- Guides on “Best Platforms for Online Reselling in South Africa” referencing Bob Shop, Takealot, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree (Bob Shop, Takealot, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree).
- Articles on “How To Start a Dropshipping Business Using Dropstore and Shopify” (Dropstore, Shopify).
- A guide on “Shipping Options for Online Sellers” covering The Courier Guy, PUDO, and Paxi (The Courier Guy, PUDO, Paxi).
Internal and external links
- Internally link articles so readers can move from “how to make money online reselling” into more specific tutorials.
- Externally link to authoritative resources (SARS, CIPC, major marketplaces) to build credibility (SARS, CIPC, Takealot).

9. Conclusion

How to make money online reselling in South Africa is a realistic path if you:

Use proven platforms like Bob Shop, Takealot, Facebook Marketplace, and Gumtree.
Leverage local suppliers and dropshipping tools such as Dropstore, Makro, and other wholesalers.
Set up safe payments using PayFast or PayGate and reliable shipping via The Courier Guy, PUDO, or Paxi.
Stay compliant with SARS and consider formal registration through CIPC as you grow.

By starting small, learning what sells, and reinvesting profits, you can turn online reselling into a consistent income stream within the real‑world South African e‑commerce ecosystem.

How To Make Money Online Reselling