Does Shopify work in South Africa?

[PA1964]

Hello Fellow Shopify-merchants

I have had a Shopify site for almost 4 years now. For the last 2 years I kept it dormant - no one could buy - so that I did not forfeit the site. I had 2 purchases, but the shipping from the manufacturing company in Europe to the Post Office in South Africa was a nightmare. (One shipment took 1 full year.)

I am an artist who puts his designs on items. I am wondering whether I should not simply close my site.

I may not be selling what people or South Africans need? The problem is that the printing company who adds the images to the items is abroad. Is there a South African printing company who can do these things?

Perhaps Shopify South Africa is not for POD-items?

Please, if you are knowledgeable and can enlighten me, please do.

Happy 2025 

[DaisyVo · Accepted solution]

Hi @PA1964 ,

Yes, Shopify works in South Africa, but challenges like shipping delays and sourcing local suppliers can make it tricky, especially for Print-on-Demand (POD) businesses.

To tackle the shipping challenges, you could try finding local POD providers in South Africa, like Printulu or Inkfish, to cut down on delivery times and costs. Besides, you can also look for South African POD providers on platforms like Takealot or Bidorbuy, These may list services that print and deliver locally

If local options aren’t viable, you can consider international POD companies with faster shipping to South Africa

Don’t give up on your store yet! With the right adjustments, I believe it could still thrive.😊

Happy 2025!

Daisy

[Bundler-Manuel]

Hey there @PA1964  Shopify definitely works in South Africa and your concerns are very valid regardless. Like people above have already mentioned, the best course of action for you right now would be looking into local print on companies and checking out well rated apps such as Printiful to see how they can help with your situation.

[PA1964]

Hello. Thank you for the reply. I have used Printful but the shipping to
South Africa is a big problem for me.

However, I do need help and I will try to connect with local experts.

Be blessed

[PA1964]

Hello Yabiola

I appreciate your kindness.

I sent you a post.

Be blessed

[promfly]

It sounds like you've put a lot of effort into your Shopify store, and I completely understand the frustration with long shipping times. If your main issue is fulfillment, finding a local print-on-demand (POD) supplier in South Africa could be a game-changer. There are some POD companies like Printful, Gelato, and Printify that have global fulfillment centers, but you may want to check if they have options in South Africa or if there are local POD providers that can handle printing and shipping faster. Keep Searchging new vendors and new opeetunity, explore local yellow pages type website