Many South Africans have complained that their Shein orders have been delayed, with no clear communication on when they will be delivered.
Social media platform TikTok has seen many users air out their frustrations that the Chinese online fashion and lifestyle retailer has not delivered their orders “due to the flight delay”.
One customer was supposed to receive her order between 8 and 16 April, but Shein has informed her that her “order has been delayed by 3 to 5 days and is expected to depart before 12 April.”
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What could be the reason?
The Citizen has attempted to contact Shein to clearly indicate why orders to SA are being delayed and whether this has anything to do with US President Donald Trump’s announcement about the tariff hike.
Trump has given nearly all countries a 90-day respite from recently announced tariff increases. However, as part of his “America First” trade policy, he has imposed a 145% tariff hike on goods exported from China to the US.
The tariffs imposed by the US on China would not directly affect Shein’s orders being shipped to South Africa. These tariffs are specific to trade between the US and China, and South Africa has its own trade agreements and regulations.
Sars and Shein
The South African Revenue Services (SARS) charges VAT and a 20% flat rate customs fee on Shein orders.
This has caused Shein to underperform.
A recent report revealed that the Chinese online retailer did not achieve the same market share at the end of 2024 (November, Black Friday) as it did at the end of 2023.
“Similarly, progress in the first 10 weeks of 2025 lags far behind where the brand was tracking at the same stage in 2024,” read the report.
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