Delivery & Shipping.

SA Fashion Mall serves the Republic of South Africa. Every province is covered by at least one national courier. International shipping is currently not supported — international Buyers should use a nominated SA forwarding address (e.g., AfricaMail or an ExpressLine facility) and note that responsibility for onward shipping ends when the courier reports delivery to the SA address on file.

• Every Seller sets two shipping fees per listing: LOCAL (within their province) and NATIONAL (elsewhere in SA).
• Fees are shown on the product page BEFORE add-to-cart, and again as a line item in the cart and at checkout — there are no surprise fees at payment.
• You choose local vs national in the cart based on your delivery address.
• Sellers keep 100% of the shipping fee — SAFM does not take a cut of shipping.
• Multi-Seller orders show each Seller’s shipping fee separately — you pay each Seller’s courier once, not one combined fee.

• In-stock ready-made garments and fabric — dispatched within 1–3 business days of payment confirmation.
• Custom-made garments — dispatched within the lead time quoted on the tailor’s quote (typically 7–21 business days, depending on complexity and fabric sourcing).
• Wholesale fabric (5m+ rolls) — dispatched within 3–5 business days as mills often cut and pack on demand.
• Sellers with more than 3 business days of dispatch delay without communication receive an admin nudge and, on repeat behaviour, a temporary listing suspension.

Once dispatched, typical courier transit times are:

• Local (same province) — 1–2 business days for main-centre routes.
• National (cross-province) — 2–5 business days for main-centre routes; add 1–3 business days for outlying areas.
• Load-shedding, courier strikes and public-holiday backlogs may extend transit by up to 3 business days.

If tracking is static for 10 or more business days, open a dispute using the “Never arrived” reason — escrow is frozen while we investigate with the Seller and their courier.

Sellers choose their own courier. Every parcel dispatched through the Platform must move on a tracked and insured courier service with signature-on-delivery. Untracked, uninsured or drop-and-run deliveries are not permitted — they cannot be verified in a dispute and leave both parties exposed.

• Door-to-door national coverage, or counter-to-counter / pickup-point services in smaller centres, are acceptable — provided tracking and signature capture are supported.
• Insurance must cover at least the declared value of the goods (product subtotal + shipping fee).
• The tracking number and courier name must be uploaded to the order page at the moment the parcel is dispatched.
• For same-day metro deliveries, a signature or photo-on-delivery capture is required.

• The Seller uploads a tracking number the moment the parcel is booked in with the courier. You get an in-app notification + email at that point.
• The order page (/my-orders → your order) links directly to the courier’s tracking portal.
• Every meaningful status change (Shipped → In transit → Out for delivery → Delivered) fires a notification.
• Once the courier reports the parcel delivered, please open the order and confirm delivery. SA Fashion Mall releases the escrow to the Seller once delivery is confirmed. If you never respond, an admin reviews the order manually.

• Most couriers make 2–3 delivery attempts. Provide a reachable phone number at checkout so the driver can call.
• If nobody is home and the courier goes back to depot, they typically hold the parcel for 5–7 days before returning it to the Seller.
• If the parcel is returned to the Seller for reasons outside their control (Buyer unreachable, address unclear), the Seller may deduct the return-courier cost from any refund.
• For lost or damaged-in-transit parcels, the Seller lodges the claim with the courier; open a dispute so escrow stays frozen while the claim resolves.

Tapping “Confirm delivery” on your order is a legal act — it releases the escrowed funds to the Seller. Only confirm once you have opened the parcel, inspected the goods, and are satisfied. If something is wrong, open a dispute BEFORE confirming — the money stays frozen and negotiation is easier.

If you neither confirm nor open a dispute, a SAFM administrator reviews the order and decides whether to release the funds to the Seller, hold them for further investigation, or reverse them to you. You still retain CPA remedies for defects that manifest afterwards; those are handled through the Refunds & Returns Policy.

• Fragile pieces (embellished, beaded, delicate lace) should be handled with signature-on-delivery. Sellers add this at cost.
• High-value pieces (R5,000+) are shipped insured for the full declared value.
• Wholesale fabric rolls above 20m may require a two-person delivery; Sellers coordinate this directly with the Buyer’s receiving contact.

• Terms & Conditions
• Refunds & Returns Policy
• Cancellation Policy
• Legacy Shipping Policy note
• Escrow Protection Policy