Online shopping now open for all

CITIZENS can now do their shopping online thanks to new regulations gazetted on Thursday giving e-Commerce the green light to operate in level 4 of the lockdown.

According to the newly published guidelines, customers can now buy almost anything from household goods to books.

However, the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, is still not permitted as per level 4 regulations.

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“Effective from Thursday, all goods will be available for transaction through e-Commerce platforms with the exception of liquor and tobacco, which have been expressively prohibited for sale to the public during alert level 4. These products would be reconsidered in future when the regulations permit their sale,” said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic).

The gazetted directions enable the sale of products through e-Commerce platforms and delivery systems that are currently not available at retail outlets, including household appliances, electronic goods, furniture, books, music, gym products, the full range of clothing and footwear products, household utensils and others.

“We strongly believe in the value of e-Commerce as a critical enabler to opening the economy through contactless transactions. This can reduce the movement of consumers, and the density of shoppers in retail spaces. Further it can accelerate innovation, support local manufacturing and increase access by the informal market and poorer South Africans,” said dtic Minister Ebrahim Patel.

In other Covid-19 news: Patel gazettes directions on sale of winter clothing

The dtic has been working on a plan for e-Commerce to be safely rolled out since level 4 of the regulations came into effect on 1 May.

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