The deal will create a bigger company and a better product on the online classifieds market, with promising results, the company’s representatives said.
Last month, Schibsted Media Group announced it will sell the company that owns www.tocmai.ro Naspers, in a deal that also includes its Portuguese subsidiary.
Classifieds website tocmai.ro is owned by Sibmedia Interactive Sibiu, a company 95% controlled by Schibsted Classified Media. The Norwegian group entered Sibmedia Interactive’s ownership structure in June 2011, when it took over a 55% stake from Salcia Invest (Luxembourg). After several capital raises, Schibsted Classified Media increased its stake to 95%.
Early 2011, Salcia Invest bought Sibmedia Interact from Romanian businessman Stefan Radu Tocca.
In 2013, Sibmedia Interact’s turnover rose 170%, to RON2.83 million, and the company’s losses widened from RON9.2 million to RON25.3 million.
In Romania, Naspers owns Allegro Online Services Romania SRL, which manages classifieds website www.olx.ro (known as www.mercador.ro until June 2014). Mercador.ro was launched in Romania in 2010.
In 2013, Allegro Online Services Romania had a turnover of RON5.36 million and losses of RON20.498 million.
Present in 107 countries and in 42 languages, the OLX (OnLine Exchange) platform was created in 2006 by web entrepreneurs Fabrice Grinda and Alec Oxenford.
OLX became part of Naspers in 2010.