The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) says nearly 35 000 jobs could be lost by 2030 if global online retailers such as Temu and Shein are not properly regulated.

The two China-founded e-commerce platforms have grown rapidly in the country in recent years, driven by low prices and aggressive marketing.

According to a study by the Localisation Support Fund, international online retailers contributed to the loss of thousands of jobs and nearly R960 million in local manufacturing sales between 2020 and 2024.

SACTWU Deputy General Secretary, Vilina Membinkosi, says the impact of job losses will also be felt in the public sector.

“With their cheap goods and all of these things, I can guarantee you that in a matter of 2030, in the clothing, textile, leather and footwear industry, 34 000 jobs will be lost, and that will put serious pressure even on government, because you must remember these things are not regulated. That is a serious impact even on government in terms of tax. There will be no money for government to pay teachers, to pay police, municipalities, and nurses and doctors; all public sector workers are affected,” says Membinkosi.

Meanwhile, Membinkosi says banning the two online retailers, along with stricter regulation of the e-commerce sector, could be among the measures needed to protect local manufacturers and jobs.

“The solution is to ban it, and then ITAC, the Consumer Commission, all of these two institutions, they must do a deeper analysis and investigation on the practices of these offshore e-commerce, and then maybe, if there is any intention to reopen this thing, but there must be strict measures on how to control it and how to regulate it, so that there is an equalisation in terms of sales in the country.”

Related video| Temu and Shein bring stiff competition: