SAPO have warned the public of a delay in Christmas deliveries

SAPO have warned the public of a delay in Christmas deliveries
Image via Pyrosky/Gett Images

Sending Christmas presents abroad? There may be a delay, claim SAPO

Christmas gifts and parcels may likely be delayed by travel restrictions due to Covid-19 variant Omicron, claim the South African Post Office.

SAPO have warned the public of a delay in Christmas deliveries

SAPO have warned the public of a delay in Christmas deliveries
Image via Pyrosky/Gett Images

If you’re thinking of sending a Christmas present or parcel abroad, you are more than likely to face delays, claim the South African Post Office (SAPO).

With travel restrictions in force due to the detection of the Covid-19 Omicron variant in the country, many international flights have been cancelled or drastically reduced.

This has affected the cargo space used to transport goods abroad.

CHRISTMAS PARCELS WILL BE DELAYED BY 14 DAYS

In a recent statement SAPO said that mail leaving South Africa may be delayed by up to 14 days.

And if you’re thinking of sending a parcel to the US via mail post, think again.

“Only surface mail is currently available to the United States of America”, SAPO claims.

“The post office expects that the airmail option will again become available in January,” it adds.

Mail to African countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Lesotho and others are not affected at this time. Items posted from South Africa to these countries by this week should reach their destination before Christmas, SAPO added.

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The national postal service has also advised customers who are sending items to foreign countries to do so ASAP.

They added: “Customers should package international items securely as mail is transported in bulk . They should include the mobile phone number of the recipient with the address details.”

STRICT LEGISLATION ON AIRCRAFT

Meanwhile SAPO are encouraging the public not to send anything in the post that is not permissible by aircraft.

According to the postal service, they have seen an increase in the number of items returned by ACSA Cargo because the “content may pose a danger to the aircraft and passengers on board”.

If you’re posting a Christmas present, or any parcel for that matter, make sure to not include items like alcohol, perfume, cash, jewellery or biological items.

To view the full list of prohibited items, click here.

It is also important to remember that each country has a unique list of prohibited goods that may not be imported.

Make sure you do your research on the postal administration in the country of your parcel’s destination.