Government eyes Temu’s local ‘warehouse’ in South Africa

The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition is keeping a close eye on Temu’s expansion in South Africa, following the online retailer’s launch of what it calls a local “warehouse.”

As reported by MyBroadband, Trade Minister Parks Tau told Parliament that while the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has not yet received formal complaints about Temu, it is tracking the platform’s activities and potential effects on the local retail sector.

Temu launched its local “warehouse” in July this year, essentially promising much faster delivery times for South African shoppers.

SA government keeping an eye on Temu’s local warehouse

“The department has noted media reports that Temu has launched its ‘local warehouse’ and the NCC shall be monitoring these developments and their impact on the domestic retail sector,” Tau said, as per Mybroadband.

Tau added that Temu’s operations must comply with all South African consumer and trade laws, including the Consumer Protection Act, which governs fair marketing and advertising practices.

The NCC is also preparing to conduct a comprehensive review of the country’s e-commerce landscape in the 2025/26 financial year. The exercise aims to identify potential problem areas under the Consumer Protection Act, particularly around deceptive marketing, product quality, and consumer safety.

“These are some of the practices that the scoping of the e-commerce market seeks to understand, and to particularly assess if South African consumers are affected.” Tau stated.

If the commission finds evidence suggesting local consumers may be at risk, it could launch targeted investigations into specific parts of the online retail market.