eBucks, FNB and RMB Private Bank's rewards programme, has announced a new spend partnership with leading South African online retailer, takealot.com, further extending the rewards programme's footprint in the online retail environment.

With over six million products available, takealot.com will significantly contribute to the selection of products eBucks members can purchase online, using their popular eBucks rewards currency as a form of payment.

"eBucks members are ahead of the curve when it comes to shopping online in South Africa," says Jolande Duvenage, eBucks CEO. "Nearly 22% more eBucks members used their rewards currency to purchase items from our range of internet partners in 2011 than in 2010. This growth is significant, especially when you consider that the number of active South African Internet users who use the Internet for shopping, only grew by 5%* over the same period."

She says that eBucks members are also spending more online, with eBucks noting a 30% growth in online purchases made through its existing internet partners, and a 15% growth through the eBucks online store in the last year.

"We've found that as online shopping grows in South Africa, our members are increasingly embracing this convenient shopping practice by purchasing more of their gifts and luxuries through various online stores," says Duvenage.

The trend towards online shopping is largely driven by members finding the safety and convenience of online shopping to be more appealing, coupled with the fact that they can easily shop around for great deals, Duvenage says.

"We continually work to find ways for our members to stretch their wallets by using their eBucks to purchase items that they would otherwise possibly not be able to afford. Partnering with takealot.com was the perfect addition to our portfolio of Internet partners as it offers a wide range of sport, home, baby, electronics, beauty, books and other products that I'm sure our members will enjoy shopping for," says Duvenage.

Members are able to purchase items on takealot.com by redeeming their accumulated eBucks, or by using a combination of eBucks and Rands, should the total cost of their desired purchase exceed their eBucks balance.

"eBucks is one of the most established and well-recognised rewards programmes in South Africa, so this collaboration was a logical next step for us. By including eBucks on takealot.com, we are able to cement our offering of simple, safe and secure online shopping," says Kim Reid, CEO of takealot.com. "We are really looking forward to being able to offer eBucks as yet another payment option for takealot.com shoppers."

*The latest MasterCard Worldwide Online Shopping Survey revealed that the number of South Africans shopping online has steadily increased over the past two years, with 58% of respondents in a survey of active Internet users saying that they use the Internet for shopping. This is an increase from the 53% that said that they shop online in 2010, and the 44% that gave the same answer in 2009

About takealot.com

Founded in 2002, takealot.com is a leading South African online retailer. It offers an extensive range of Sport, Home and Kitchen, Baby and Toddler, Electronics, Beauty, Movies and TV, Gaming, Books, Music, Toys and Import products, giving customers access to the widest variety of products delivered directly to their doorstep.

About eBucks:

eBucks, the rewards programme offered by First National Bank (FNB) and RMB Private Bank, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading rewards programmes with highly active members spending in excess of 80% of the eBucks earned in any given month.