Temu vs Shein South Africa: Which Platform Wins?

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Both apps showed up in your feed at the same time, both promised ridiculously low prices, and both arrived in South Africa at roughly the same moment. But Temu and Shein are fundamentally different products — and knowing which one is right for you could save you a lot of frustration, a few hundred rand in unexpected customs fees, and at least one “why does this look nothing like the picture?” moment.

If you’ve been shopping on either platform since they exploded onto the South African market, you’ve probably developed strong opinions. If you’re still trying to decide where to put your first order, this breakdown is for you. We compare Temu and Shein across the categories that actually matter to South African shoppers: what you can buy, what it actually costs once SARS gets involved, how long you’re waiting, and whether the thing you ordered looks anything like the thing you received.

The short answer: neither platform is objectively better. The longer answer — which is the only useful one — depends entirely on what you’re shopping for.

Two very different businesses that look the same

Shein is a Chinese fast-fashion company that has been around since 2008. Its entire identity is built around clothing — specifically, getting the latest trends from concept to your cart faster than any traditional retailer can. It designs or curates most of its own products, which gives it more consistency and control over what lands at your door. By the time Temu launched in the US in September 2022, Shein had already spent over a decade perfecting its logistics and product pipeline for fashion specifically.

Temu, owned by Chinese tech giant PDD Holdings, is a marketplace — closer in structure to Amazon or Takealot than to Shein. It connects third-party sellers directly to consumers, which is why you’ll find everything from kitchen gadgets and pet supplies to phone cases and power tools sitting alongside the clothing section. Temu officially entered South Africa in January 2024 and moved fast: within three months it had become the most downloaded app in local app stores, with monthly active users climbing from 788,000 to nearly 1.8 million in just eight weeks.

Understanding this structural difference — Shein as a vertical fashion brand, Temu as a horizontal marketplace — explains almost every other difference between the two.

What can you actually buy on each platform?

If you’re shopping primarily for clothing, Shein wins — and it’s not close. Its entire operation is built around fashion discovery: trending styles, fast turnaround on new arrivals, and a comprehensive size range that includes plus-size options with more detailed fit notes. Fabric composition is prominently listed at the top of each product page, which matters if you’ve ever received a “silk” blouse that turned out to be a mystery polyester blend.

Temu carries clothing too, but it’s mixed in with over 100 other categories — electronics, home décor, tools, beauty, pet accessories, toys, gardening equipment. The platform has over three million listed items compared to Shein’s approximately one million. If you need a smartwatch, a car phone mount, LED strip lights, and a pair of earrings in the same order, Temu is the obvious choice. Shein simply doesn’t compete in that space.

Pricing: sticker price vs what you actually pay

On raw sticker prices, Temu generally edges out Shein. You’ll find basic tops and dresses on Temu for as low as R50–R100, while comparable Shein items typically run R100–R300. Temu also has a lower free-shipping threshold — orders over approximately R200 qualify — while Shein’s free delivery only kicks in at around R1,100. For students buying in smaller amounts, this makes a meaningful difference.

But the sticker price is not the full story. Both platforms ship from China, and since July 2024, SARS no longer gives either of them a pass on import duties. The old de minimis rule — which previously allowed orders under R500 to sail through customs with a flat 20% duty and no VAT — has been scrapped. Clothing orders from both Shein and Temu now attract 45% import duty plus 15% VAT, bringing them in line with what local retailers have always paid. In practice, that means an item that cost R120 before now costs you closer to R167 after customs.

One area where Shein has meaningfully improved its experience: it now charges import duties upfront at checkout, so the total you see before confirming your order is the total you pay. No more unexpected bills from Buffalo Logistics or Aramex arriving after your parcel does. Temu’s import charges can still vary and aren’t always as clearly displayed, which has caught shoppers off guard — one MyBroadband investigation found a Temu order valued at R212 taxed at 34%, while a R1,308 clothing order faced only 12%. The inconsistency is a known issue.

Delivery times: the waiting game

For most South African shoppers, Shein currently delivers faster. Orders consistently arrive within 7–10 working days on standard shipping, with express options available. Temu standard shipping from China typically takes 8–21 days, and can stretch to 22 days during high-volume periods. Express shipping on Temu is faster — roughly 3–8 business days — but comes at a cost that erodes the platform’s price advantage.

The local warehouse option changes Temu’s calculus significantly for eligible items. Products shipped domestically can arrive in as little as 1–2 days. But as noted above, the local selection is currently limited. If you’re buying fashion items, you’re still waiting for a China shipment regardless of which platform you use — the local warehouse helps most for home goods and bulkier items that were previously impractical to ship internationally.

Both platforms use local courier partners for last-mile delivery once parcels clear customs at OR Tambo International Airport. Delivery to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban tends to move quickest; more rural addresses add time on either platform.

Quality: what you’re actually getting in the box

Neither platform is selling luxury goods, and neither pretends to. But quality consistency differs significantly between them.

Because Shein controls most of its own production, its clothing is more predictable. You’re not guaranteed good quality, but you’re less likely to be completely blindsided. Fabrics tend to be slightly thicker than Temu’s clothing equivalents, stitching is generally neater, and the size charts are more accurate and prominently displayed. In 2025, Shein announced plans to increase its product safety testing from two million items in 2024 to 2.5 million — partnering with accredited agencies including Bureau Veritas, SGS, and TÜV SÜD.

Temu’s quality is a different proposition entirely. Because it’s a marketplace hosting thousands of third-party sellers, what you receive depends almost entirely on the individual seller you bought from. One order might be a genuinely decent find; the next from a different seller could be thin, oddly sized, or poorly constructed. South African shoppers on TikTok and review forums consistently report more disappointments with Temu clothing specifically — misleading product photos and inconsistent sizing are recurring complaints. The workaround is to read verified reviews with buyer photos before purchasing, and to stick to sellers with strong ratings and high order volumes.

Returns and refunds

Temu’s return policy is significantly more buyer-friendly. You can return items within 90 days of purchase, and first returns per order are typically free. Shoppers report that Temu tends to process refunds without major deductions, particularly for faulty goods. The catch is logistics: you have to package the item and hand it to a courier, which requires trusting the process.

Shein allows returns within 30 days, but the process comes with a charge — a deduction from your refund that shoppers have described as substantial. If you’re the kind of shopper who regularly returns items that don’t fit or don’t match expectations, Temu’s policy is less punishing. If you size carefully and rarely return, it makes less difference.

The bigger picture: jobs, ethics, and the SA textile industry

No honest comparison of these platforms would be complete without acknowledging the wider conversation happening in South Africa. The National Clothing Retail Federation and SACTWU (the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union) filed formal complaints with government in 2024, arguing that both platforms had long benefited from an uneven playing field. A report by the Localisation Support Fund estimated that Shein and Temu collectively cost South Africa over 8,000 potential jobs.

At the same time, more than 24,000 South Africans signed a petition opposing the proposed tax increases, with many citing the impossibility of affording local alternatives at their income levels. Plus-size shoppers in particular have noted that Shein and Temu offer far greater variety and affordability in extended sizes than most South African retailers. These aren’t trivial concerns — they’re a direct reflection of the cost-of-living pressures facing the country’s youth and working class.

This is a genuinely difficult trade-off without a clean answer. If budget is the deciding factor, Shein and Temu will continue to win. If supporting local manufacturing and job creation matters to you, brands like Earthchild, Markham, and even Superbalist’s local labels are worth exploring. The honest position is: most people use both criteria depending on the purchase.

So which platform should you use?

The answer genuinely depends on what you’re buying.

Most South African shoppers end up using both — Shein for seasonal clothing hauls, Temu for that random gadget or household item they’d never find at a reasonable price locally. Neither is replacing Takealot for electronics or Woolworths for quality basics, but they’ve permanently shifted what price-conscious South Africans expect from online retail.

Before every order, the most important habit to build is checking the final price after import duties are added. Budget for 45% duty plus VAT on all clothing items. Use Temu’s local warehouse filter where possible. And for anything safety-critical — chargers, toys, anything a child will touch — shop elsewhere.

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