Online shoppers in South Africa can now breathe a sigh of relief when ordering from Shein, as the Chinese e-commerce giant has updated its app to include import duties upfront, removing the uncertainty of unexpected fees upon delivery.
Previously, customers had to pay additional customs charges separately to courier services like Buffalo Logistics, Aramex, or iMile before receiving their parcels. Now, Shein displays these fees as a clear line item labeled import charges during checkout, covering customs duty, VAT, and other import charges paid on your behalf.
South African shoppers have welcomed the change, taking to platforms like TikTok to celebrate the added transparency. One user, Nomalinah, explained that the update helps combat scams where fraudsters pose as couriers demanding fake customs payments, as reported by News24.
Another shopper noted that the feature makes budgeting easier, as they no longer have to guess potential extra costs.
Import taxes on Shein orders consist of customs duties and VAT. As of last year, the South African Revenue Service SARS imposed a 45 duty on clothing, while VAT remains at 15, calculated on the total order value plus customs fees.