Naspers-owned classified giant OLX has closed its local South Africa-based horizontal platform.
Visitors to OLX.co.za were informed OLX South Africa was no longer available. Under a message that read, “We can still help you find your new car or property,” users were directed to AutoTrader.co.za and Property24.com.
South Africa-based websites reported that related apps appeared to have been removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store, and the brand’s social media channels deactivated.
Local media quoted Sjoerd Nikkelen, OLX Group GM for Asia, Middle East and Africa, as saying, “A few moments ago, we discontinued our OLX horizontal classifieds platform in South Africa, as we focus our customer proposition fully on our strong property and autos verticals in the country — Property24 and AutoTrader.”
He added, “This is ultimately an indication of the progress we have made in South Africa over recent years and symbolic of how we as OLX Group continue to adjust ourselves.”
In 2019, Naspers-owned OLX Group announced that it was selling its OLX horizontals in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to leading Nigerian horizontal Jiji.ng.
Naspers, headquartered in Cape Town, is one of the largest technology investors in the world and the parent company of marketplace giant Prosus, which operates or shares operation in OLX Group sites in more than 30 countries with more than 20 brands.