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Temu logo.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has partnered with the National Consumer Commission in issuing a stern warning to foreign-owned online shopping platforms that fail to comply with South African laws and regulations.
This comes after the department revealed that online platform, Temu has been advertising that it has an SA-based warehouse, despite not owning or operating any warehouses in the country.
The Chinese company began advertising the warehouse in July, but later said it uses third-party logistics companies that store and deliver its goods in South Africa.
Department Spokesperson, Kaamil Alli, says, “The operations of Temu, naturally, have to comply with all the relevant legislation, including the Consumer Protection Act, and as a result of this local warehouse launch, the department will be monitoring these developments and the impact on the domestic retail sector quite closely. It’s a bit tricky at the moment. It’s at the very initial stage, because no formal complaint has been initiated, or received against the firm, the NCC has noted these concerns through media reports. But we have also been monitoring other jurisdictions around deceptive practices, and the quality and safety of the products.”
