How to place a free ad

Placing an ad is an easy three-step process.

Step 1. Click on the ‘Place an Ad’ button. This can be found in the upper left hand corner of the home page.

Step 2. Select a section and category. If you aren’t sure where to place your ad, you can even select the ‘Other Stuff’ section. Our proofreaders will then review your ad and place it in the most suitable category. When you are done, click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 3. Tell a buyer about the item you are selling. The critical pieces of data have a red asterisk beside them. You won’t be able to place your ad without them. Those fields are:

1. Ad title
2. Ad description
3. Region
4. Email Address

However, this isn’t the time to be brief. Tell your buyer everything there is to know about the item you are selling.

A couple of additional tips:

• Ads with photos sell up to 8 times faster than ads without photos.
• In order to place your ad in our print edition (for free) be sure to give us your telephone number.

For a list of ads that are not allowed, click here.

Do I have to select a category?

No. You don’t have to select a category when placing an ad. If you select the “Other Stuff” section on the first page, our proofreaders will place your ad in an appropriate category for you.

Do I have to select a region?

Yes, you must select a province. Unless you are selling or renting property, you don’t need to indicate a city or suburb. However, the more local you are, the more likely your potential buyer will be to find you.

For example, I am selling an exercise bicycle in City Bowl, Cape Town. If I only select “Western Cape”, then a buyer who is looking in the City Bowl or in Cape Town won’t find my ad. However, if I place the ad in “City Bowl”, then a buyer can find my ad in “Western Cape”, “Cape Town”, and “City Bowl”.

How do I upload an image?

When placing your ad, you can add images to your ad. Simply click on the green button “Add files…”. This will open a modal window that will allow you to select files from your computer. Select as many files as you want from a single folder. If you want to select images from different folders, you will need to hit the “Add files…” button twice. Once you select the files you want, click “Open”. The files will then upload.

I uploaded the wrong image. How do I change my images?

Once you have submitted your ad, you will need to edit your ad in order to change the images. There are three ways to edit your ad:

1. On the ad confirmation page, you can edit your ad using the “Edit” button.
2. In your ad confirmation email, you can use the “Edit” button to edit your ad.
3. If you have created a user account, you can edit your ad from your user account.

While editing your ad, you can remove images that are already uploaded and upload new images to your ad.

Why is the telephone number required for print?

Most people who are looking at your ad online will have an email address they can use to contact you about buying your item. However, in print a majority of people still don’t have access to email. Therefore we require a telephone number in order to make sure that your buyer can contact you quickly and easily.

Why is the form asking for a password?

We allow users to lock their telephone and email address behind a password. This ensures that only the person who places an ad with those credentials actually owns that telephone number and email address.

If you are seeing a password entry box, it means that the credentials you have entered have been locked. If you did not lock them or you have forgotten the password, please call our webmaster at (012) 432 2807.

If you would like to lock your credentials, you can do so by registering as a user or calling the webmaster.

Why is it asking for a username and password?

If you are seeing a username and password entry box when placing an ad, it means that the credentials you have entered have been locked to a user account. If you did not lock them or you have forgotten the password, please call our webmaster at (012) 432 2807.

If you would like to lock your credentials, you can do so by registering as a user or calling the webmaster.

What is MXit?

MXit is an instant messaging platform with a large number of users, which makes it a viable virtual market. By checking the box when placing your ad, you are enabling us to share your ad on the MXit Xchange platform. Just one more way that Junk Mail brings buyers and sellers together!

What is Auto Mart?

AutoMart is Junk Mail’s sister trading site for cars, bakkies and motorcycles. By checking the box when placing an ad, we will put your ad on AutoMart in order to share your ad with an even larger community.

What is Truck & Trailer?

Truck & Trailer is Junk Mail’s sister trading site for commercial vehicles, farming equipment, plant and machinery. By checking the box when placing an ad, we will put your ad on Truck & Trailer in order to share your ad with an even larger community.