85% positivity reviews about Shein online shopping South Africa by users and customers far outweighs its 15% negativity. This undiluted review looks at detailed information you need to know whether it is legit in South Africa, how to order on Shein South Africa using their App, costs of the dresses and whether it is safe.
What Is Shein Online South Africa?
Shein online is a revolutionary pacesetter online fashion store that has transformed the way and style fashion enthusiasts buys and shop for their preferred dresses online.
Launched in 2008 by an energetic 39 years old Chinese native, Chris Xu; this fashion company grew like a rocket and is presently valued at more than USD100 billion dollars in 2022, but down to a rather modest figure of approximately USD 64 billion according to Forbes, quoting from the Financial times.
Shein has eclipsed the total worth of the likes of Zara and H&M combined. They currently hold the record for the largest fashion brand in the world at the moment.
The entrance of Shein online South Africa is a further demonstration of this fashion giant determination to continue adding to its present 150 countries it is trading at the moment, from US, European countries, Nigeria, South Africa and all the way to Alexandria in Egypt.
Their rapid growth caught the anger of South Africa’s trade union and government watch dog in March of this year, 2023 and are being monitored. However, the hunger and thirst for shein dresses from the young millennials ( youth, young boys and girls) of this generation is sure not to stop their growth.
My Experience / Reviews From People
On February 19th, 2023, I placed an order for some dresses using the Shein App, I made payment online and was actually doubting the delivery.
On March 10th, 2023, my order was delivered to me. One thing that struck my curiosity was the high level quality of the dresses.
This made me believe in Shein and yes, I can confidently say they are legit and if you order anything, you will surely get them.
This is just my own experience, a vivid look at the following reputable review site will surely convince you:
What you need to check out for is the level of positive review to the negative reviews. If the positivity is higher than negative reviews, then you are confident of their legitimacy.
- Hellopeter
- Sitejabber
- Clutch
- Trustpilot
On hellopeters, there is a mix of both positive and negative reviews. They score an overall rating of 2.18 from 328 users, however, a visit to Sitejabber shows more than 4270 reviews, out of which 75% were on the positive side.
This video is important to watch:
Shein free trial South Africa
Shein does not offer a free trial of its clothing brands and dresses. Registration on the shopping site and on the App is free, all you need is your name and phone number to receive confirmation SMS and alert when you order and when your order arrives.
From experience, there is no free trial and their offer of free shipping to South Africa is not true. For example, on Shein, you may be given free shipping if you order a particular amount of money e.g. r3000. However, it is not true.
To buttress my point, when ordering, you may see that your shipping charges is R80 ( depending on the volume of what you are ordering). After making payment ( including the shipping cost), the honest truth is that you are still going to make another payment when your order arrives in South Africa.
I explain all these processes in the next highlight below.
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How To Order On Shein South Africa
There are two ways to order Shein dresses or cloth in South Africa:
- Through the Shein website
- Through the Shein App
However, the most genuine way to order on Shein South Africa is through the App, I say this because of some benefits you stand to get e.g. ability to track, ability to return the dresses or clothing if they do not fit you.
Guideline
- Download the App at Google play store, Apple store or the Huawei Gallery
- Or go to the official Shein online store at: https://za.shein.com/
- Install the app and register with your name and phone number
- Once done, navigate to the cloths and dresses you need, add them to cart
- On the shipping page, you can put the name of your house, including the Area code
- Click checkout and pay with your card
Now, after you have checked out, you must have this at the back of your mind:
- Whether you are offered free shipping or not, you pay for everything at the checkout.
- Your order becomes processed and you should expect them within 3 weeks
- After your order arrives in South Africa, you will get an SMS or a call informing you it has arrived and that you should pay a certain amount of money.
- This payment is for customs, and VAT duty ( as per South African customs and excise duty requires). In most cases, it is roughly 8-10% of the total amount.
- This payment differs, based on the weight, what you ordered for and where you are staying that it will be delivered to ( e.g. cost for Johannesburg will be different from Cape Town)
- If you do not make this payment, it will be returned back to China where it came from. When you make this payment, then the courier ( Buffalo couriers) brings your orders to you.
In summary; the three levels of payment you should have at the back of your mind when ordering from Shein in south Africa are:
- General cost of the items or dresses you purchased
- Delivery/shipping fee ( this is added to the general fee above, exception is when it is explicitly stated that shipping is free.
- Customs fee ( covering customs excise, duty fees, cost of delivery to your destination; all of these are merged together).
Shein Dresses
The definition of Shein dresses is uniqueness, affordability, distinct; coated in you getting value for your money without having to break the bank or taking a loan or being in debt.
I was chatting with a friend and asked her why she is always buying Shein dresses rather than going to the physical shops here around Cape Town.
Her response was inspiring, she said and I quote ‘I love uniqueness, when I shop for my dresses and cloths on Shein, I know I am getting unique dress that is not common; I love to wear fabrics that you cannot easily get anywhere in the shops!!
She further said emphatically, Shein dresses are cheap, and are of high quality. What you see is what you get. I asked, how can you know if something is quality just by looking at it online. She said, zoom very well what you are about to buy. She said, she has never been disappointed with all her orders.
She three a shade at Wish ( Shein online competitor), saying, with WISH, you are not sure of what you are getting by the time they arrives. 2 times out of 3 times I have shopped on Wish has been a disappointment!!
She further suggested that Shein should also start selling traditional dresses for ladies, e.g. Xhosa, pedi, Zulu models etc.
Shein Dresses Range And Clothing Brands
Shein sells everything fashion, from bags, to glasses, wristwatch etc.; however, their flagship identity is in clothing.
Please remember that this fashion store does not manufacture or produce these clothing’s but they rather source and promote quality fashion brands within China ( from Guangzhou) on their online store.
Their range of dresses falls into categories such as:
- Clothing’s for men ( boys and men)
- Clothing’s for girls ( ladies and women inclusive)
- Seasonal clothing wears e.g. for Winter and summer
- T-shirts
- Blouses
- Tops
- Sports and outdoors dresses
- Accessories
- Jewelries
- Swimwear
- Brands from MOTF, Romwe, Sheglam, Dazy, Petsy, Cuccoo, just to mention a few
At Shein online South Africa, there is always a particular type of dress for everyone, whether you are plus size, skinny, shapeless or fat!!
Shein App
As mentioned earlier, the most convenient and highly recommended way to order for Shein products, cloths and dresses in South Africa is through the use of the App.
To use Shein App, follow the guidelines below:
- Go to Google play store, Apple store or Huawei Gallery to download ( these depends on the type of Phone you are using)
- Install and activate the App
- Register with your details and information ( basically, your name and email address)
- Create a SA login PIN or password for yourself
- Open the online store and you are free to shop around, select your preferred products and buy
- Another great shopping tips is to allow for notifications for specials and promo
Where is Shein located in South Africa?
Aside the online store that South Africans can easily shop and get their products delivered to them, at the moment, they also have physical shop presence in the country.
Currently, Shein South Africa is located at:
- Johannesburg
- Cape Town
- Durban
- Bloemfontein
- East London
- Pretoria
So whenever you ordered for any of their products online and probably you are not satisfied or it has default or error, track the product on the App and from the App, check for their nearest Shein store close to you and return it.
You have 30 days return policy to return any dress or clothing to be considered for a refund.
The following are important question that requires adequate answer which Mamzansi has prepared for you.
What courier Does Shein use in South Africa
Shein South Africa uses Aramex Global Shopper and Buffalo Freight Systems. In most cases, the Buffalo Freight Systems courier company is often.
For example, I got my own order through them. It will take approximately 3-4 weeks to get your order.
Do you pay customs for Shein South Africa
As I mentioned earlier, yes you will pay for it, but it is usually about 8-10% of the total value of your shipment. The customs payment takes into account where you are in South Africa ( the shipment arrives in Johannesburg from China), the weight of the items, customs duty etc.
Is Shein in South Africa legit?
Yes, Shein is legit in South Africa; their mode of operation is safe, not a scam and most people that have patronized them are happy.
One of the core factors that has attached Mzansi and South Africans from all walks of life is the quality of their products, clothing and dresses all at an affordable price and costs.
Moreso, with the set up of their physical fashion stores at Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein etc.; customers not satisfied can actually return the purchased products.
All these steps are driving the confidence level of South Africa in the world fastest and biggest fashion retailer as being a legitimate store.
Does Shein have stores in South Africa
Yes, they do. As at June 2023; they currently have 6 stores at Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and at East London.
Watch this video where investigation was done to know if Shein truly has stores in South Africa.
Is Shein free shipping in South Africa
As I mentioned earlier, their so called shipping is not truly free; whatever you order, you are expected to make three payments; cost of the goods, delivery fee ( except if its stated free, and this occurs on specials or you buy certain amount of items), custom fees.
With all these charges, it is technically not free!!
How many days does it take for SHEIN to deliver to South Africa
It takes approximately 3-4 weeks; in my own case, I got it approximately 19 days.
Advantages And Pros of Using Shein Online Store South Africa
- The first advantage is that the items are ridiculously of great quality. I have shared my own experience and that of a friend. Kindly scroll up and read it.
- No matter the payments you are making, Shein dresses and other items ordered are extremely cheap compared to what you will buy in the country.
- There is a 30 day return policy, however, no that you can ship back the items when they are still new and you have to pay for the shipment cost back to China.
- Their return policies was improved and you can simply take the defected dresses or items to the nearest Shein stores at Pretoria, Johannesburg or even at Cape Town city.
- It is huge, so you can chose from lots of different brands, catalogues etc.
- If you are a great shopper like my friend, each and every time you login to your SA account on the App, you will be rewarded with points and when these points accumulate, you can use it to shop on the store.
Disadvantages And Cons of Using Shein Online Store South Africa
- As with everything online, you just have to be careful that you are on the legit website when you are ordering on their website to avoid phishing. This is one major reason why I recommend the use of their App.
- Do your due diligence to accurately order for your perfect dress or clothing sizes. It is recommended you know your exact size e.g. small, medium, large or extra large. Doing this saves you stress of having to return the items etc.
- They are currently under investigation by the South African chamber of commerce. It is being alleged that they are trying to circumvent the payment of tax, because most of their items are shipped in small parcels ( in plastics) unlike the regular established shops who pays 45% import duty on cloths and fashion items being imported. This is because these local South African fashion outlets imports using containers.