ADD TO CART?

There's no doubt you've heard about, or felt the pinch of, increased custom duties on imported clothes from international retailers in recent months. Christi Nortier breaks it down so you know what you're paying for and why.

- Christi Nortier

THE OLD STATUS QUO

It’s never been easier to shop for clothing online, and for some importers, it was perhaps a little too easy to sell it – at least, that’s from the perspective of the South African Revenue Services (SARS) and local retailers.

You see, before 1 November 2024, imported clothing packages under R500 were coming into the country with a flat rate of 20% customs duty and no import tax. If the clothing package was over R500, it would be slapped with a 45% custom duty and 15% import VAT. It made a pricey parcel even more expensive.