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Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)

Notices

Directions regarding e-Commerce Sales during Alert Level 4 of COVID-19

3. Background

 

(a) e-Commerce can be a critical enabler to opening the economy through contactless transactions, which 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.

 

(b) The Regulations issued by the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs provided for directions, which may permit the incremental expansion of e-Commerce beyond goods permitted in terms of Part E of Table 1.

 

(c) In terms of the Regulations, such directions must take into account the need to limit the extent of movement on the road, contact between people, law enforcement challenges and the impact on other businesses.

 

(d) e-Commerce is an important retail platform; however appropriate health and safety protocols need to be put in place which can allow the full e-Commerce supply chain to operate safely while mitigating the risk of it becoming a vector for transmission of the coronavirus.

 

(e) Greater levels of e-Commerce for goods that are normally not for sale in retail stores, can introduce increased health risks by greater movement of courier or delivery service personnel, and hence health and safety protocols are important to mitigate this risk.

 

(f) These directions establish the minimum protocols that retailers, courier and delivery services, and customers must maintain in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

 

(g) In addition, in order to fully leverage the benefits of e-Commerce platforms for a greater number of South Africans during the national state of disaster, these directions also recommend increased access for consumers through the provision of multiple payment channels, including for low-income consumers and the promotion of South African-made products.