re paying customs duty on a product declared at R100, when it s going to cause problems. The concern is that they recognise the issue but simply don Shein and Temu shift to local fulfilment as SA’s tighter customs regime reduces the appeal of direct imports. This is one of the key findings in the OnlineRetailin South Africa 2026 report, conducted by World Wide Worx, in partnership with Mastercard, Peach Payments and Ask Africa. The study draws on retailer financial disclosures through FY2026, Statistics South Africa retaildatathrough mid-2026 and consumer research from Ask Africa’s Target Group Index, based on 23 910 interviews conducted from January to December 2025.