Good news for anyone who buys from Shein in South Africa
South Africans who shop on Shein will now see estimated customs duties and taxes at checkout before paying.
The online retailer has introduced a new feature that shows these costs upfront, aiming to end customers’ confusion when parcels reach customs.
In the past, shoppers often only discovered extra charges after their orders arrived in the country, with couriers emailing requests for additional payments.
This caused delays and, in some cases, parcels being held at the border. Shein said the new system removes this uncertainty.
“With the new feature, customs fees are calculated and displayed directly on the checkout page, giving customers full visibility of their total cost before they pay,” the company said.
Customers can now view estimated fees in their order summary before confirming payment. According to Shein, the change was introduced after many shoppers asked for upfront clarity. The rollout comes as South African authorities tighten rules around online imports.
Earlier this year, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced it would withdraw concessions that international traders have used to bring goods into the country at lower duties.
Some of these allowances date back two decades and are no longer applicable. One such concession allowed shipments under R500 to be cleared at a simplified flat duty rate of 20%, a system introduced in 2007.
Retailers like Shein and Temu relied heavily on this process, which local businesses said gave foreign competitors an unfair advantage. Some importers also reportedly split parcels to fall under the R500 threshold.
SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter said the withdrawal of these concessions was necessary to ensure compliance with the Customs and Excise Act.
In 2024, SARS already clamped down on abuse by requiring VAT added to the 20% flat rate. With concessions due to be phased out completely, online purchases from foreign retailers will be subject to higher duties and VAT, pushing costs up further.
Calls for a level playing field
This has become a growing point of tension between international platforms and the local industry. According to consultancy BMA, Shein and Temu raked in around R7.3 billion in South African sales in 2024.
This accounts for over a third of all online clothing purchases in the country. Local manufacturers and retailers argue that the playing field is tilted in favour of the foreign giants, who undercut them while taking revenue out of domestic value chains.
There are also questions around consumer protection. Queen Munyai, CEO of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), said her office continues receiving increasing complaints about online transactions.
Many of these involve foreign platforms. “That number keeps growing year by year, so we should, as soon as possible, make sure that the online area is legislated properly,” she said.
Munyai noted that South African consumer laws like the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) only apply when both the consumer and supplier are based in the country.
“As soon as the supplier is inside South Africa, they must comply. But we find that trying to enforce it, use it to make suppliers outside South Africa accountable for their behaviour inside South Africa, is a big challenge,” she said.
She argued that legislation should be updated to ensure suppliers outside South Africa can be held accountable and that customers are better protected.
Munyai said the government must ensure a level playing field. “If South African suppliers want to do business in other countries, it’s not that easy. There are a lot of hoops you must go through. It should be the same here,” she said.
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