The shipping time for Shein orders to South Africa is dependent on the processing time, the estimated shipping time and the local logistics and customs.
Shein has a website specific to South Africa, where shoppers can see applicable prices and products.
When you order from this retailer, the delivery time may vary in terms of processing speed, estimated delivery times and local logistics. Fortunately, this process can all be tracked on the Shein website.
What is Shein?
Shein was first established in 2008. This Chinese online retailer offers its consumers all over the globe the opportunity to shop for a variety of products via the website or mobile app.
South African consumers can also visit the dedicated South African Shein storefront, which features prices in Rand value and ensures that all of the items displayed can be shipped to South Africa.
This site features many of the same women’s and men’s clothing, décor and home items, children and pet items and various accessories that the international site offers, and these items can be ordered directly to South Africa.
How long does Shein take to deliver to South Africa?
Shein delivers orders all across the world, and their delivery times tend to differ between different countries.
The retailer also warns its consumers about the processing time that they need to pick and package orders at checkout, so this added time does not come as a shock to you.
Shein generally takes about one to three business days to process all orders, before the timeframe for shipping has even come into effect.
Moreover, there are also a few factors that can influence this processing time, which can be summarised as follows:
| Factor | Timeframe increase or decrease? | Reasoning |
| Peak sale season | Increased processing time | An increased amount of orders need to be picked and packed overall |
| Large shipment size | Increased processing time | More items need to be picked and prepared for your order before it can be shipped |
| Unavailable stock | Increased processing time | Shein will need to wait for new stock before your order can be shipped |
| Global holiday | Increased processing time | This may cause delays in different stages of the logistics chain |
Once your order has been processed, assembled and packaged by Shein, it can start making its way to you.
Shein’s estimated delivery times
Shein has no set delivery timeframe to South Africa. International deliveries, which South African deliveries fall under, can take from 25 to 29 days to reach customs, via the standard shipping method.
This is only an estimated delivery time, and this can vary depending on various administrative acts, such as invalid or changed address(es), customs clearance procedures, or other causes.
If your order has not reached customs within six months after the date that the package was shipped, you will need to log a ticket with Shein to address the issue and follow up accordingly.
Local logistics
After your shipment has reached customs, you may need to pay various customs fees and taxes to release your package.
This may take time, as customs will first need to inspect and clear your package before it can be released. These costs usually amount to about 30 percent of your order total, but this can vary from order to order.
Some of the charges you may incur include:
- Customs duty
- VAT
- Disbursement fee
- Clearance charges
Shein does not have its own logistics or courier services within South Africa, rather, they make use of either Aramex or Buffalo to deliver packages across the country.
These logistics services usually take between one and three working days to deliver orders to main areas.
How to track your order
All of these steps may seem complicated, but fortunately, Shein allows their customers to track orders via the Shein website by following a few simple steps, including:
Step 1: Log in to you Shein account
Step 2: Click on the “My orders” and then “View details” options
Step 3: If the order says that it has shipped, select the “Track” option
This allows you to see an overview of where your order currently is in the shipping process, and you can even visit this page again when you have received your order to confirm this delivery and earn bonus points to put towards your next order.
Final thoughts
Shein offers South African consumers a chance to purchase any number of their different products from the website or app and have these delivered to South Africa.
The delivery time can be influenced by various factors, regarding the order itself, the local logistics and customs, but it is also possible to keep track of this timeline through the Shein website.
