You can purchase most things online except alcohol and tobacco products
Retail
15 May 2020
The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition have published new regulations which allow unlimited e-commerce in South Africa except for alcohol and tobacco products.
The regulations also include strict rules for e-commerce operations and deliveries.
Below are all the rules to follow for businesses and customers.
Rules for e-commerce retailers
- All Regulations and Directions in respect of hygienic workplace conditions and the potential exposure of employees to COVID-19 must be adhered to.
- Employees may not share face masks, equipment, stationery, utensils or similar items.
- Retailers must give prominence to those goods which are manufactured in the Republic of South Africa.
- Retailers must provide for as many payment options as possible for consumers, that are based on reducing risks of transmission, and enabling poorer consumers to access delivery services.
- When packaging goods, retailers must provide written guidelines for customers on how to safely disinfect their goods before use.
- Retailers must put in place collection protocols to ensure that adequate social distancing is maintained by courier or delivery service personnel when collecting goods from a warehouse or depot.
- All goods must be sanitised, in line with the guidelines published by the National Department of Health, before leaving the warehouse or depot.
Rules for customers
- Customers and all residents within the immediate vicinity must wear a cloth face mask or a homemade item that covers the nose and mouth when receiving goods from courier and delivery personnel.
- Customers must maintain at least one and a half metres distance from courier and delivery personnel.
- Customers are encouraged to disinfect goods using guidelines published by the National Department of Health and those provided by retailers.
Rules for courier and delivery services
- All Regulations and Directions in respect of hygienic workplace conditions and the potential exposure of employees to COVID-19 must be adhered to.
- In addition, employees may not share face masks, equipment, stationery, utensils or similar items.
- Health and safety officers must take each employee’s temperatures using appropriate equipment or instruments at the start of a shift and every four hours after the shift commences.
- All courier and delivery personnel must have their own hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes, which must be refilled daily.
- Courier and delivery personnel must wear a cloth face mask that covers the nose and mouth when delivering goods to customers.
- Courier and delivery personnel must maintain at least one and a half metres distance from other courier or delivery personnel when collecting goods for delivery and customers when delivering goods.
- Courier and delivery service personnel may not enter the home of a customer if such customer and any other residents within the immediate vicinity are not wearing a cloth face mask or a homemade item that covers the nose and mouth.
Written by: Staff Writer.
Guzzle Media
