Small business & global shipping advice from DHL Express

For South African businesses with their sights set on international growth, ESG ( Environmental, Social, and Governance ) is no longer just industry jargon or a box to tick. It’s fast becoming a strategic advantage that opens doors in demanding global markets.

For years, South African businesses especially e-commerce entrepreneurs and SMEs have enjoyed a vital edge thanks to the de minimis rule. This allowance let low-value parcels (once capped at R500, now higher) enter the country without duties or taxes, making it easier and more cost-effective to import small, high-margin items from markets like China and the US.

If you’re steering a factory in South Africa right now, the recent headlines haven’t made for easy reading. The latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) shows our manufacturing sector slipping back into contraction, stirring up unease about the wider economy.

For decades, South African goods have travelled far and wide, our exports are part of the country’s DNA. The European Union is a key destination, but fresh winds are blowing in the form of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM.