What is Ordinary Mail?
South African Post Office is the national postal service of South Africa and as a state-owned enterprise, its only shareholder is the South African government.
In terms of South African law, the Post Office is the only entity that is legally allowed to accept reserved mail, and as such, it operates a monopoly.
How Long Does Ordinary Mail Take In South Africa?
Ordinary domestic mail takes 3 to 5 working days to reach the destination post office.
How much does it cost to receive Ordinary Mail In South Africa?
| Ordinary mail | ||
| Product | Current Price | From 1 April 2021 |
| Small maxi | R4.90 | R5.34 |
| Medium (B5) | R9.85 | R10.75 |
| Large (B4) | R12.05 | R13.15 |
| Prepaid envelope | ||
| Small | R5.20 | R5.70 |
| Medium | R11.30 | R12.30 |
| Large | R15.10 | R16.50 |
Can ordinary mail be tracked in South Africa?
All parcels and registered letters can be tracked using their tracking number. Go to our tracking page or call the Customer Services Centre on 0860 111 502.
Please contact our Customer Service Centre at customer.services@postoffice.co.za if you cannot find your mail item.
How reliable is the post office in South Africa?
The South African Post Office (Sapo) says only 0.01% of its 2 million daily deliveries are lost or damaged.
This is despite horror stories of missing parcels, stolen items, and lost letters to loved ones being posted on every available social media platform.