Buying clothes online in SA: delivery, returns, sizing

Buying clothes online in South Africa? Delivery times, 30-day returns, clearance windows, what can't go back and how to get the size right first time.

The order's arrived. The jacket fits and you're pleased with yourself. The jeans don't, because the brand's 32 is somebody else's 34. They were marked clearance, and now you're reading a returns page on a Tuesday night to find out whether that matters.

It usually does, a little. This is the checklist for buying clothes online in South Africa: what delivery costs and how long it takes, what can go back and what can't, and what the sale sticker changes. It covers the norms at the big shops and tells you where to find the specifics for the one you're on.

Delivery when you're buying clothes online

The national online retailers quote two to four working days to the main centres and up to seven working days to regional areas, with remote addresses longer. At the time of review one of the biggest charges R60 on orders under R650 and delivers free above it. That's a useful number when the basket is sitting at R610.

Collecting from a store or a pickup point is usually free. It also tends to make the return easier later, because you know where the counter is. One more thing: "in stock" at a chain with hundreds of stores can mean in a store, not in the warehouse. Trust the delivery date on the order page over the stock line on the product.

Returns

The common norm is 30 days for unworn items in their original packaging with the tags still on. The first return on an order is often collected free. After that the exceptions start.

At the time of review one national online retailer gives 7 days on anything marked clearance, against 30 on everything else. Another gives 30 days across the board but takes no change-of-mind returns on underwear, swimwear, socks, hosiery or bodysuits. Shoes are fine to try on a clean floor indoors and not fine once they've been outside. Who pays the courier for a second return on the same order differs by shop, and it's on the returns page, usually near the bottom.

Sizing

A 32 at one brand is a 34 at the next, and the UK, US and EU numbers on one label don't always agree with each other. Use the brand's own chart in centimetres, and read our guide to sizing and fit when you buy fashion online before a clearance order you can't easily send back.

Sale small print

The Black Friday code takes 20 percent off, but not on the new-season denim you came for. New-season stock is often excluded from codes, so read the code's exclusions before you build the basket around it.

Sale items usually return on the same terms as full price, with two catches. Clearance can carry a shorter window, as short as seven days at one big retailer. And if you send back part of an order bought with a promo code, the code's value comes off your refund. At one big retailer a replacement code is issued, with its own restrictions. Whether the markdown itself is worth having is a separate question, and our guide to what a real fashion discount looks like covers it.

Your rights, whatever the sticker says

Two laws sit under every online clothing order. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act gives you seven days from receiving the goods to cancel without a reason. You pay only the direct cost of sending them back, and the refund is due within 30 days.

Faults are a separate matter. If a seam splits on the second wear, the Consumer Protection Act lets you take the garment back within six months of delivery and choose a repair, a replacement or your money back. A "final sale" sticker doesn't change that. A fit you don't like isn't a fault.

Before you pay, in four lines

Where REALRANK™ comes in

A free return doesn't make R899 a good price for a pair of jeans. That's the job REALRANK™ does. It reads six things about each live fashion deal from the shops we track: how deep the discount is, how much it saves in rand, how the price compares to other shops, whether the brand is one people search for, how recently the price dropped, and whether it's in stock across sizes. Pair a strong score with the checklist above and the Tuesday-night returns page stays closed.

Top fashion deals

The fashion deals scoring 9.0 and above. Check the size chart and the returns line on each before you click through.

Before you buy, Check The Deal. Shop great fashion deals, verified and ranked by REALRANK™.

Frequently asked questions

Can I return clothes I bought on sale?

Usually, on the same terms as full price, within the shop's window. Clearance is the exception, with windows as short as seven days. A faulty item goes back under the Consumer Protection Act whatever the sticker says.

How long do online clothing orders take to deliver in South Africa?

Two to four working days to the main centres and up to seven working days to regional areas is the common quote from the national retailers. Collecting from a store is usually free.

Can I cancel an online clothing order?

Yes. The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act gives you seven days from receiving the goods to cancel without a reason, paying only the direct cost of sending them back.

Can I return underwear or swimwear?

Rarely for change of mind. Big retailers exclude underwear, swimwear, socks and hosiery for hygiene reasons. Faulty items are still covered by the Consumer Protection Act.

Where are the best fashion deals in South Africa?

The Fashion category on THE REAL DEAL ranks live clothing, shoe and accessory deals from the shops we track by REALRANK™, with the returns and delivery norms above applying to most of the shops on it.

Sources

Written by Dean. Reviewed 27 October 2026. Worked examples use round illustrative prices, not live offers. Some links earn THE REAL DEAL a commission. Placement buys visibility, it never touches REALRANK™.