JSE- and A2X-listed e-commerce and tech investment group Naspers is increasing its investment in artificial intelligence (AI), describing it as an “indispensable tool” that will underpin future growth across its platforms.
This comes as the company reported strong financial results for the year ended 31 March, with revenue up 20% to $7.2 billion (R130 billion as of Monday morning’s exchange rate) and core headline earnings, a key measure of profitability, increasing by 46% to $3.1 billion (R56 billion).
CEO Fabricio Bloisi, in a statement to shareholders, says: “This was a year of growth, innovation, disciplined execution and strategic milestones for Naspers. I believe we are just at the start of creating exceptional value for all our stakeholders as we build a leading, innovative e-commerce ecosystem.”
The e-commerce company’s performance was driven by innovation and AI adoption. The group’s AI strategy is focused on improving productivity, accelerating innovation and building a high-impact portfolio that leverages data and customer insights.
Naspers believes the digital platform sector has the potential to inject R91.4 billion into South Africa's economy by 2035; an achievement that can only be reached through “accelerating digitalisation of the economy through collective action between business, government, civil society and other digital platform ecosystem players”.
It says it is “embarking on a journey to ensure we are an AI-first company, with innovation underpinning all facets of our business to enhance operations and customer experience, empower people and enrich communities, while improving the daily lives of billions of people”.
It notes that the use of AI is already improving operational efficiency across its marketplace businesses, while also laying the foundation for longer-term strategic gains. Over the past year, it invested $7.8 billion (R140 billion) in AI-native start-ups and ecosystem expansion, as it states its intention to lead in this space.
The group, which owns several well-known South African platforms – including Takealot Group, Autotrader, Property24 and PayU – is using AI to streamline processes, personalise customer experiences and drive innovation across its portfolio.
Naspers holds a more than 55% stake in Prosus, its international arm, which in turn owns a 24% shareholding in Chinese tech giant Tencent. Group CFO Nico Marais adds that the group's operating businesses are “growing faster or at least as fast” as their competitors.
Tencent remains a key profit contributor and share price driver, helping to lift Naspers’s stock by 61.7% over the past five years. The 2025 financial year earnings announcement pushed its share price 2.42% higher on Monday morning, to R5 362.
Bloisi says innovation will be a core profitability driver going forward. In a statement to shareholders, Naspers notes that, “in today’s fast-changing environment, adopting AI has shifted from a competitive-edge to a business necessity”.
It says: “At Naspers, we are committed to leading this AI-driven transformation. Through the Prosus Ventures team, the group invests in new technology growth opportunities within AI that support the group's existing ecosystem or potential new growth opportunities.”
Locally, Naspers has reaffirmed its commitment to the Takealot Group, with Marais stating the company, which has invested millions of rands over the past few years, will “continue to stand by them and invest in them to fight off the competition”.
Takealot gross merchandise value – a measure of the use of its platforms to sell merchandise – grew 13% and revenue by 15% during the year, supported by ongoing investments in logistics, customer experience and the TakealotMore subscription model.
Outside of South Africa, Naspers invested $1.7 billion (R30.7 billion) in Latin American online travel platform Despegar during the year. The group plans to use its broader customer ecosystem, operational expertise and AI capabilities to accelerate Despegar’s growth trajectory.
Its February acquisition of Just Eat Takeaway.com for $4.6 billion (R79 billion) was the group’s largest investment to date and is seen as the launchpad for a major European food delivery push.
Naspers says the deal presents a strategic opportunity to “create an AI-first European tech champion, in line with EU ambitions to accelerate regional digital capabilities”. The investment is expected to form the core of a drive to “build a European food-delivery powerhouse” − leveraging lower regional market penetration for these services and Just Eat Takeaway.com’s established presence in Europe, North America and Oceania.
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