Prosus, a European subsidiary of one of South Africa's biggest listed firms, Naspers, has announced a plan to acquire Amsterdam-traded Just East Takeaway.com for about $4.3bn.

Conclusion of the transaction, Prosus said in a release on February 24, will create the fourth largest food delivery service globally.

“We are excited for Just Eat Takeaway.com to join the Prosus Group and the opportunity to create a European tech champion,” said Fabricio Bloisi, Prosus’s CEO.

“Prosus already has an extensive food delivery portfolio outside of Europe and a proven track record of profitable growth through investment in our customer and driver experiences, restaurant partnerships, and world-class logistics, powered by innovation and AI.

“We believe that combining Prosus’s strong technical and investment capabilities with Just Eat Takeaway.com’s leading brand position in key European markets will create significant value for our customers, drivers, partners, and shareholders.”

Just Eat Takeaway.com has developed some of the most loved food delivery brands in the United Kingdom, Germany and The Netherlands.  It operates in 17 international markets, connects 61mn customers with over 356,000 local partners.

Prosus has a strong track record in food delivery outside of Europe, having invested more than $10bn globally in driving the category’s momentum and success. Its food businesses span more than 70 countries, serving 1mn-plus restaurants around the world.  It also owns iFood, Latin America’s leading food delivery platform.

Just Eat Takeaway.com CEO, Jitse Groen noted: “Just Eat Takeaway.com is now a faster growing, more profitable and predominantly European-based business. Prosus fully supports our strategic plans, and its extensive resources will help to further accelerate our investments and growth across food, groceries, fintech and other adjacencies.”