AMZ123 learned that South African Communications Minister Solly Malatsi recently confirmed in parliament that during a public consultation held in March 2025 on whether the South African Post Office (SAPO) should retain its exclusive delivery rights for small parcels weighing 1 kg or less, the majority of feedback opposed renewal. As early as December 2025, the Minister had already removed the postal monopoly clause concerning “small parcels” by amending Schedule 1 of the Postal Services Act. This means SAPO’s small-parcel monopoly, in place since April 2000 for more than two decades, is about to end. Although SAPO warned in its June 2026 restructuring progress report that losing the exclusive rights would impact its postal and courier revenues, and called on ICASA to fine private courier companies (such as Takealot, PostNet, and the Courier Association of South Africa) that illegally enter the exclusive market and allocate the fine proceeds to SAPO, ICASA’s regulatory process has not yet been completed and related litigation is still ongoing, so the formal policy implementation still awaits approval. Meanwhile, the NCC and the Border Management Authority (BMA) signed a memorandum of understanding on joint enforcement, focusing on monitoring unsafe, non-compliant, and counterfeit goods in cross-border parcels from platforms like Temu and Shein. By using tag barcodes to inspect inbound goods such as pharmaceuticals, food, and cigarettes, South Africa will combine “opening up last-mile competition” with “tightening inbound goods compliance” into a comprehensive set of measures. For cross-border sellers, the South African market will shift from the “SAPO single-channel small parcel” model to a phase of multi-courier competition and lower costs, but compliance costs for customs clearance, certification, and consumer protection will rise simultaneously.

AMZ123 Comment

The South African Post Office’s small-parcel monopoly is about to end. Cross-border sellers can plan ahead for diversified local logistics channels and monitor the pace of policy implementation. Once the delivery rights for parcels under 1 kg are liberalized, logistics costs and delivery times are expected to improve. It is recommended to prioritize connecting with local and international logistics service providers to reserve capacity.

Source: AMZ123
Original article link: https://www.amz123.com/kx/BMg4P80D