The SA Post Office is truly delusional

Bradley Prior

Bradley Prior

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The SA Post Office is truly delusional

The SA Post Office (SAPO) wants to become the preferred delivery partner of South African online shops and is investigating drone deliveries of packages.

This is according to a report by Moneyweb, which spoke to SAPO CEO Mark Barnes recently.
 
I run a small eCommerce business maybe 5 shipments a week and noway would I even consider sapo. I can have parcels picked up in the afternoon and delivered before 11:00 the next morning in any major city.

sapo is probably still licking the stamps to put on the parcel after they have checked its contents
 
Just received an item two months after it was posted in the same city.

It is just not workable to post anything important through the PO at the moment.
 
So far I have had a 100% delivery rate with SAPO for all China parcels. I have ordered a lot of stuff even phones. The ONLY problem is the time it takes to deliver. 3 months+ and then the international tracking number gets disabled and you can't track it anymore so you wait for a SMS from SAPO and when you get the SMS you find the parcel has been laying at the post office for like 2 to 3 weeks already.

Just poor service overall but actual delivery they come through surprisingly.
 
uchoose said:
Wow... You actually think it's good, 3 months delivery?
Click to expand...

No not at all. It's pathetic to be honest. They just never lost any of my parcels. They take ages but for me they did not lose any and I bought quite a few.
 
If sapo went back to apartheid days level of service it would be a MASSIVE improvement and that says a lot.
 
Well most stores actually have other reasons for not using SAPO as they get preferential rates from their couriers. Fine and well but then they should offer us an alternative. I've never had problems with parcels from Loot or any other shop. You can't really compare it to international parcels.

ponder said:
If sapo went back to apartheid days level of service it would be a MASSIVE improvement and that says a lot.
Click to expand...
Maybe this is what black people mean when they say it was better under apartheid.
 
If I ordered a component from Rebel Tech and they shipped with SAPO, something newer would either have released or be around the corner by the time I received it.

I signed up to WIRED magazine to get a free YubiKey 4 in May last year. I received the gadget in January. A $1 watch from Wish arrived last year sometime, long after I'd forgotten about ordering it. I checked my email records at the time and the order had been placed almost a year prior.
 
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It takes less than a month from Ali Express to get here then circles the SAPO drain for 2 months minimum before you get it then they charge you a service fee on top of that. They should first focus on doing their primary job efficiently or lose all their jobs by becoming irrelevant.
 
It's like they serve you water in a cup that has no bottom and now they think they are qualified to build a dam.
 
I ordered something small from Hong Kong. It left HK on the 26/2. Firstly I doubt I'll see the item and secondly if by some miracle it does arrive, I expect it later this year (optimistically).
 
Why haven't the Post Office claimed their government bailout yet?
 
But in my opinion, the best saving would be to close the parcel and letter distribution system. Lock, stock and smoking barrel. Rather the system should be turned into a vendor neutral logistics system. The existing real estate and boxes can all be converted to electronic locks. However, any other alternative similar solution would be viable! The current post boxes only work for small parcels so some extra larger ones need to be build for larger ones.

The idea would be that a client registers for an electronic key via a on boarding process that would include verification of identity similar to that of RICA or FICA. They pay a key deposit of in the region of a Mandela or two. They key is associated with a specific mobile number for SMS text messages.

If a delivery is required a logistics partner, e.g. Makro, the Courier Guy or whoever, pays a Rhino to the Post Office and is provided with a post box (small or large) and the client’s key is programmed to gain access. Obviously, the larger box would cost an Elephant or Lion! The client is notified via SMS/whatsapp of the post box assigned. The distribution partner then delivers to the appropriate post box. Once the box is opened and accessed by the client it becomes available for reuse.
I have written a more detailed article on medium about the concept
 
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