Government Moves to End the Post Office’s Small-Parcel Monopoly
A December 2025 directive removed parcels under 1kg from the Post Office's reserved services. The Post Office says it only applies once ICASA ratifies it.
On 12 December 2025, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi published a directive in the Government Gazette removing “small parcels” from the postal services reserved for the South African Post Office. The Post Office had held exclusivity over reserved services under a 25-year arrangement that ran from April 2000.
Why it matters
If the Post Office’s interpretation of the law had stood, couriers could have been barred from delivering parcels under 1kg, which covers a large share of online orders. TechCentral described the directive as burying a monopoly the market had already ignored.
Not settled yet
- The Post Office’s business rescue practitioners say the exclusivity still applies until ICASA ratifies the directive through its regulatory process.
- Court action between the Post Office and courier companies, running since 2018, continues.
- Public submissions on extending the monopoly were overwhelmingly opposed, the minister told Parliament in July 2026.
What it means for you
Couriers continue to deliver small parcels. Whoever carries your order, the postal code on the label routes it, so make sure it matches your suburb.