Thirteen Lune partners with Takealot for South Africa expansion

SOUTH AFRICA – Thirteen Lune, the Los Angeles–based beauty discovery platform founded by Nyakio Grieco, has announced its first international expansion through a strategic partnership with Takealot, South Africa’s largest online retailer.

The collaboration positions Takealot as Thirteen Lune’s exclusive South African e‑commerce partner, leveraging the retailer’s nationwide digital ecosystem to reach millions of active online shoppers. 

Through this channel, South African consumers will gain streamlined access to Thirteen Lune’s curated portfolio spanning skin care, hair care, and cosmetics, with the full brand lineup to be revealed in the coming weeks. 

The platform’s launch will include Grieco’s clean skin care line, Relevant Beauty, alongside a selection of cult‑favorite global brands, creating a direct pipeline for U.S. and international beauty labels into the South African market.

The expansion is scheduled to go live on Takealot in the fourth quarter of 2026 and forms part of a broader, multi‑stage rollout plan. 

Beyond the e‑commerce launch, Thirteen Lune intends to activate localized marketing initiatives, interactive retail pop‑ups, and sustained brand‑building activities across the region to deepen engagement and awareness. 

Additional details on the participating brands, regional pop‑up locations, and launch‑event programming will be announced in the lead‑up to the official go‑live date.

For Grieco, a 25‑year beauty industry veteran, the South Africa entry represents both a critical business milestone and a personal homecoming, given her father’s long‑standing professional ties to the country. 

She describes the move as a “lifelong dream” to return to the continent that shaped her family’s legacy with a platform built on heritage, equity, and inclusion. 

Grieco frames Thirteen Lune’s market entry as a disruptor play, focused on serving a broad consumer base by surfacing leading U.S. and global beauty brands that might otherwise have limited distribution in South Africa.

Ryan Ferreira, Head of Retail at Takealot, stated, “We are incredibly proud that Thirteen Lune selected Takealot as its exclusive South African partner – not simply because of our scale, but because of our shared belief that eCommerce can create opportunity, celebrate founder stories and make exceptional products accessible to more people.”

“Together, we’re introducing some of the world’s most exciting beauty brands to South Africa while laying the foundations for a beauty ecosystem that will continue to grow for years to come.”

Founded in 2020, Thirteen Lune operates as a global beauty discovery platform dedicated to innovative, high‑performance skin care, makeup, hair care, fragrance, and wellness brands, with an emphasis on founder‑led stories and inclusive offerings for diverse skin tones and hair textures. 

Takealot, launched in 2011, is South Africa’s leading shopping app and e‑commerce marketplace, supporting more than 12,000 small businesses and operating a delivery network that reaches every corner of the country.

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