TEMU OPENS SA WAREHOUSE

Temu has announced that South African shoppers can now expect deliveries to take a maximum of two days.

That’s because the Chinese-based online shop has launched a local warehouse in South Africa.

Temu only launched 18 months ago, but has been well supported by South Africans since its launch. The app offers discounted goods imported directly from China through local logistics partners like Buffalo Logistics and Fastway Couriers.

MediaRadar reported that the retailer increased its advertising budget by 1,000% in 2023, just before it launched in South Africa. A large portion of that budget was used for social media promotions.

The local warehouse aims to enhance Temu’s offering further and make it more possible for customers to enjoy earlier delivery times.

South Africa isn’t the first country to get its own Temu warehouse; other countries include the UK, Germany, France, the US, Australia and Japan.

Local retailers have been up in arms about the negative impact Chinese-based online retailers like Temu and its biggest competitor, Shein, are having on their numbers.

Retailers and tech websites have reported a decrease in sales since the launch of Shein and Temu in South Africa.

Even with the South African Revenue Service increasing the import tax required to be paid by the customer, it hasn’t stopped South Africans from buying through these online retailers.

Image credit: Connecting Africa