South African online shoppers prefer local to Temu, Shein

South African e-commerce consumers shop more frequently on local websites rather than international platforms, but Chinese brands like Temu and Shein are still making a dent in the market despite showing slowing growth in South Africa.

Those are some insights shared in theOnline Retail in South Africa 2026report published this week, a study produced by World Wide Worx in partnership with Mastercard, Peach Payments and Ask Africa.

The report featured analysis of 1,400 South African online shoppers surveyed in 2026 which showed that local platforms remain the center of online shopping, however the channel mix is broadening.

South African platforms were the primary shopping channel for 43.6% of respondents, down from 48% in 2025.

Only 10.6% of SA e-commerce customers said international platforms were their primary channel for shopping, but this did increase from 9% in 2025.

About 14.6% went directly to local retailer websites, and 7.1% said they shopped

Takealot holds e-commerce crown

South African retailer Takealot is the most-used platform in the country, used by 35.3% of online shoppers, followed by Chinese brand Shein at 21.5%; local grocery retailer Checkers Sixty60 at 15%; and Temu at 11.6%.

US e-commerce giant Amazon, whichlaunched its services locally in May 2024, was used by 12.7% of online shoppers before the South African launch of Prime in June 2026. Prime’s introduction is expected to provide a meaningful base for expansion in the later part of the year.

Local shopping is also becoming more frequent among the most engaged consumers.

About 29.6% now buy from local platforms at least weekly, compared with 21% in 2025. At the same time, 74.4% shop locally at least monthly, versus 77% previously.

“This points to a stronger high-frequency core rather than simply broader reach,” the report said.

In contrast, over 53% of respondents said they never shop on international platforms while 26.6% shopped on non-South African platforms monthly, up from 20% in 2025.

Takealot also remained the most frequently used local platform at 39.9%, though its lead narrowed from 45% in 2025.

Checkers Sixty60 was most frequently used by 16.9% of respondents in 2026 versus 16% a year before, while Woolworths increased from 7% to 10.5% and Makro from 5% to 7.9%. Pick n Pay’s share was virtually unchanged at 8.1%.

“The result is still a market with one clear generalist leader, but the second tier is becoming more substantial,” the report said

Overall e-commerce continues to grow in South Africa and by mid-2026 made up 10% of total retail turnover in the country.

The report forecast thatSouth Africans are expected to spend about R159 billion (US$9.9 billion) onlinein 2026, an increase of 22.5% compared to 2025.

The data shows that trust is key for online shoppers.

Approximately 46.6% of consumers trust local platforms more, similar to 46% in 2025, but only 4.3% trust international platforms more, a decline from 10% in 2025.

Meanwhile 38% trust local and international platforms equally and 11.1% trust neither.

Temu, Shein sales hit by import tax changes

Chinese e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein have gained traction in South Africa in recent years, but their growth in the market has been slowed mainly due to changes to import taxes that took effect in November 2024.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) changed how small parcels under R500 ($31) are handled, removing a previous concession that allowed small value parcels to enter the country at a flat 20% duty with no value-added tax (VAT).

The result was that these parcels now face standard 45% import duty plus 15% VAT, matching the rates applied to larger commercial imports.

This was a blow for retailers like Shein and Temu which are regarded as cheaper than local retailers, pushing up costs for consumers.

The impact was clear: Industry data assembled by MustangPay with the South African International E-Commerce Association shows cross-border e-commerce growth slowing to 7% in 2025, from the 30% to 50% annual range prevailing before 2024.

The market still remains large, however, with approximately 19 million cross-border platform orders placed during 2025, representing 18.6% of all South African e-commerce transactions.

The data also shows that Shein’s growth slowed from 30% to 50% annual growth to 11% in 2025, while Temu recorded an average monthly decline of 42%.

The World Wide Worx report said that both platforms have responded by moving toward locally compliant supply chains and local merchant programs.

Temu introduced local-dispatch warehouse servicesin South Africa in July 2025, stocking some goods domestically through logistics partners for faster delivery.

“This is strategically significant: the next phase of cross-border competition will depend less on parcel-by-parcel import advantages and more on local inventory, fulfilment speed and marketplace participation,” the report said.

“A Shein or Temu operating through local fulfilment and local sellers is a materially different competitor: slower to scale, more expensive to run, but far harder to regulate away,” it added.

World Wide Worx believes the most durable effect of Shein and Temu may prove behavioral rather than numerical. These platforms have already trained consumers to expect variety, aggressive promotions and algorithmically personalized storefronts.

“Local retailers cannot match ultra-fast-fashion manufacturing economics, but they can compete on trust, delivery speed, returns, local payments, physical presence, loyalty and increasingly sophisticated digital merchandising,” the report said.