Bob Group: Building the future of eCommerce, one delivery at a time
Bob Group is proving that logistics, payments, and communication aren’t just operational layers – they’re the backbone of customer experience in a market defined by complexity and opportunity.
South Africa’s eCommerce sector is on the brink of a major leap. With the industry growing rapidly and online buyers projected to nearly double by 2029, the pressure is on online vendors to deliver products, trust, convenience, and connection. That means solving far more than just checkout flows – it means rethinking how logistics, payments, and communication work together to serve a diverse, digitally evolving population.
Few companies understand this better than Bob Group, the full-stack eCommerce ecosystem born from the merger of Bidorbuy and uAfrica. From smart lockers and courier software to payments and marketplaces, Bob Group is building the infrastructure that enables South African sellers – especially SMEs – to thrive.
We spoke with Jaco Roux, Head of Product at Bob Group, and Stephan Naudé, who leads Shiplogic. Operating under the Bob Group umbrella since 2017, Shiplogic spun out of Bob Group as a fully independent company in July 2025. While they now serve a wide variety of courier brands, Shiplogic continues to work closely with Bob Group as both teams tackle South Africa’s toughest eCommerce challenges and, with Infobip’s support, scale smarter, faster, and more human.
Logistics and payments as CX essentials
In South Africa, logistics isn’t just a backend function – it’s a customer experience differentiator. With vast rural areas and millions of people living in informal settlements – communities that often lack formal postal addresses and traditional delivery infrastructure – every basic parcel delivery becomes complex. Add limited last-mile infrastructure to the mix, and getting a parcel from A to B becomes a challenge that requires out-of-the-box thinking (mind the pun!) like smart locker networks, not just courier capacity.
Roux explains that people often underestimate how critical logistics and payments are. “You can’t just build a store and hope for the best. You need to offer real options – especially for customers without credit cards or those living in hard-to-reach areas.”
Bob Group is addressing these challenges with an interconnected, full-stack model that includes:
This ecosystem is designed to remove friction at every stage – from checkout to collection – and to make eCommerce more accessible for everyone.
Messaging is the new frontline of customer experience
As eCommerce matures, so do customer expectations. Today’s shoppers want real-time updates, branded interactions, and the ability to engage on their terms.
Customers expect fast, reliable updates – no delays, no emails. It’s about making the experience seamless, with fewer clicks and real-time communication every step of the way.
Stephan Naudé
Operations Manager at Shiplogic
That’s where Infobip comes in.
What started as a simple SMS integration for OTPs and delivery notifications is evolving into a fully-fledged omnichannel strategy – improving transparency, trust, and customer satisfaction. By adopting RCS (Rich Communication Services), Bob Group now delivers branded, interactive messages that build trust and reduce confusion – while cutting costs by up to 25%.
“RCS gave us a richer, more secure way to communicate,” says Naude. “It also opened the floor for our next big move: WhatsApp.” This conversational channel will enable real-time communication between delivery drivers and customers during the delivery process.
Why conversational commerce is now business-critical
For Bob Group, conversational commerce isn’t a buzzword – it’s a business imperative.
“In this industry, you need to be in your customer’s pocket – literally,” says Naude. “Delayed responses and clunky forms don’t cut it anymore. People expect real-time, two-way communication.”
That’s why Bob Group is rolling out interactive delivery management. This rich-messaging experience lets customers chat directly with couriers, track real-time deliveries, and resolve issues on the fly. Think Uber Eats, but for parcels.
It’s a bold step toward a future where logistics is efficient and human.
Easy integration for every seller, from startup to scale
One of Bob Group’s biggest strengths is its ability to serve both startups and enterprise clients with equal ease. That’s no coincidence – it results from a deliberate focus on seamless integration.
“Tech shouldn’t be intimidating,” says Roux. “Whether you’re selling cookies from your kitchen or shipping thousands of orders monthly, integration should be easy.”
Tech shouldn’t be intimidating. Whether you’re selling cookies from your kitchen or shipping thousands of orders monthly, integration should be easy.
Jaco Roux
Head of Product, Bob Group
Infobip’s API-first approach supports this vision. With a single integration point for multiple messaging channels – SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, email – Bob Group can scale communications without scaling complexity.
“They’ve got you,” says Naude. “That’s how I’d describe working with Infobip. The support is human, the setup is fast, and the system works.”
Trust and speed: The real battleground for delivery
Roux explains that in logistics, speed isn’t just about delivery – it’s about responsiveness.
“When a driver arrives and the customer hasn’t received the pin, that delay affects the whole delivery schedule. That’s where speed and efficiency really matter.”
Beyond speed, trust is critical. With scams on the rise, Bob Group benefits from RCS’s verified messaging to ensure customers know who’s contacting them – and why. That trust is especially important as the company moves toward a paperless future, where secure digital pins replace physical signatures.
What’s next: Smarter returns and AI-powered convenience
Moving forward, Bob Group is intensifying its focus on convenience. That means:
- Expanding the Bob Box locker network – a network of smart, battery-powered lockers for secure parcel pickups and drop-offs
- Launching the Bob Go consumer app – a returns management platform and delivery app fully integrated across the Bob Group ecosystem
- Exploring AI-powered chatbots for self-service support
- Continuing to build bi-directional messaging flows that empower customers
“We’re in the convenience game,” says Naude. “People pay more for convenience, and we’re here to make it as seamless as possible.”
For Bob Group, the future of eCommerce is not just digital – it’s deeply personal. As South Africa’s eCommerce market matures, Bob Group is ready. And with Infobip as a strategic partner, they’re not just keeping up – they’re setting the pace.
