• Temu is now the most downloaded app in South Africa after launching in February.
• The Chinese ecommerce company offers cheap products for delivery within 10 days.
• It has been alleged that Temu is defaulting on import fees which is why it can offer such low prices, but nothing has been formally proved.

After launching in South Africa in early February, Chinese fast fashion ecommerce brand Temu has rocketed to the top of the charts in popularity and is now the most downloaded mobile app in the country.

With its all-encompassing advertising campaign, relentlessly reaching South Africans across social media from X to YouTube and its catchy marketing, including slogans that emphasise its cheap products like “Shop like a billionaire,” Temu has even beaten out rivals like Shein.

According to data analysts at Sensor Tower, Temu is the most downloaded App Store and Google Play Store app in South Africa. Incredibly, the Temu has even managed to be downloaded more than WhatsApp on Android devices recently.

On iOS, Temu has been downloaded more often than Showmax and TikTok. On both operating systems, thousands of users have rated Temu nearly five stars, and the app also enjoys chart-topping popularity in the US, the UK, and Mexico.

Temu went viral after it was featured in a Super Bowl commercial earlier this year, and since then has seen over 30 million new app downloads every month. Like Shein before it, the app offers a wide and eclectic range of products at cheap prices.

Is shopping on Temu worth it?

Despite its positive rating on both app stores, some shoppers have reported issues with Temu. Namely that products purchased may arrive looking different to what they appeared online, similar to Wish.

Another issue is that unless certain products have blue checkmarks next to them, they are essentially knock-offs. This is prevalent with tech items being sold on the platform.

Officially, Temu says it will deliver to shoppers within 10 days of the order being placed. The company also has a Purchase Protection Programme in place, which says that if your order doesn’t match the online listing, arrives damages and doesn’t arrive at all, you can apply for a refund within 90 days of purchase.

Local retailers allege tax evasion

While Temu says that it is its efficient supply chain and operational experience that let it offer products as cheap as it does, local retailers are calling foul. Instead, retailers say that Temu, like Shein before it, is defaulting on import taxes to bring its products to South Africa.

The other long-held problem with fast fashion brands is allegations of exploiting employees. Claims of abuse at its factories, such as forcing employees into long work hours with little pay and forcing an environment of indentured servitude have haunted Shein for several years.

Many believe this is why the brand can offer products such low prices, but the company has never officially faced any legal recourse, and no world government has ever launched any formal investigations into the matter.