The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) is reviewing the ‘reserved postal services’, as defined in the Postal Services Act, and is inviting comments from interested stakeholders.
This week, communications minister Solly Malatsi published a notice in the Government Gazette, requesting information on his intentions to evaluate, in terms of Section 16(8) of the Postal Services Act, 1998 (Act No 124 of 1998), the period during which no person other than the South African Post Office (SAPO) may provide a reserved postal service.
In line with this, the DCDT has published a discussion document seeking input from interested stakeholders.
In terms of schedule one of the Postal Services Act, the reserved/exclusive postal services include:
- Conveyance of all letters, postcards, printed matter, small parcels, packages or wrapper and other postal articles weighing up to 1kg.
- Issuing and sale of postage stamps.
- The provision of roadside collection and address boxes.
The review follows SAPO's legal action against PostNet and the SA Express Parcel Association (SAEPA), seeking exclusive rights to deliver packages weighing 1kg or less.
The court battle, ongoing since 2018, has raised concerns among online shopping players, which fear that blocking courier companies from distributing items weighing under 1kg could spell disaster for SA’s e-commerce industry.
A spokesperson for the SAEPA, a body that represents a large number of e-commerce couriers, previously told ITWeb that if the court rules in favour of SAPO, this could lead to immense financial and logistics consequences for e-commerce courier partners.
In May 2024, the DCDT extended the exclusivity period during which SAPO will provide a reserved postal service, including the delivery of small parcels.
In a blow to local last-mile delivery couriers, SAPO then continued to deliver parcels weighing up to 1kg. This exclusivity period will end on 1 April 2025.
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