Whether you're in Cape Town, Johannesburg, or anywhere in between, you're probably looking to start a dropshipping store.
But before you do, you have to find a dropshipping supplier!
And, spoiler alert, South Africa is one of the most challenging countries for this task.
Nevertheless, there are some solutions, which we will cover in this article!
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Dropshipping Suppliers in South Africa
- Our Top Pick: Shopstar
- Gelato
- CJdropshipping
- BrandsGateway
- Printful
Let's begin!
The Best South African Dropshipping Suppliers: An Overview
Before diving in-depth, here is an overview table of the best dropshipping suppliers that ship to South Africa:
| Supplier | Rating | Price | Read Review |
| Shopstar | 4.7/5.0 | R220 / R475 / R740 per month | Shopstar Review |
| Gelato | 4.7/5.0 | $0 / $24 / $119 per month | Gelato Review |
| CJdropshipping | 4.7/5.0 | Free | CJdropshipping Review |
| BrandsGateway | 4.6/5.0 | $308 per month | BrandsGateway Review |
| Printful | 4.6/5.0 | $0 / $24.99 per month | Printful Review |
| Zendrop | 4.6/5.0 | $0 / $49 / $79 per month | Zendrop Review |
| Syncee | 4.5/5.0 | $29 / $49 / $99 per month | Syncee Review |
| Spocket | 4.5/5.0 | $40 / $60 / $100 / $299 per month | Spocket Review |
Note: When searching for dropshipping suppliers from South Africa, you'll find various other names, like Neat Freak, Men's Republic, Dropstore, Mantality, etc. We've researched all of these and more but don't recommend partnering with any of them.
This is for various reasons, depending on the supplier, such as a lack of quality, being very outdated, receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews, or simply not being trustworthy.
How do you choose a dropshipping supplier from South Africa?
Choosing a dropshipping supplier in South Africa can feel challenging, but don't worry; we have some simple steps to help you find the perfect one for your store.
First up, consider what you're selling.
Does your store focus on a specific niche? If so, look for suppliers specializing in that area. You might just find some exciting products that align perfectly with your store.
Next, decide on a budget for your supplier. Knowing how much you're willing to spend helps narrow down your options even further.
Then, think about the ecommerce platform you're using, like Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopee, or TikTok. Some suppliers offer easy integration with these platforms, which can be a huge time-saver when adding products and managing orders.
Also, think about any special features you need. For example, if round-the-clock customer support is important to you, make that a priority in your search.
Apply these filters to your list, and see who stands out!
The 8 best South African dropshipping suppliers
When it comes to choosing the best dropshipping suppliers, we don't do it randomly.
We want you to choose the best supplier, so we've developed a ranking system. This helps us review each supplier fairly and consistently.
Our ranking system starts with a perfect score of 5.0 out of 5.0.
We then assess each supplier based on seven factors, each positively or negatively affecting the score:
- Product prices. Are they similar to AliExpress or higher?
- Product quality. Where are the products made? Are they high quality?
- Product catalog size. A larger catalog offers more options, which is always a plus.
- Delivery time. Faster delivery can lead to happier customers.
- Features. Additional services like automated fulfillment, live chat support, integration capabilities, and private labeling can make a supplier stand out.
- Pricing. We consider how affordable the supplier's monthly fees are.
- User reviews. We check Trustpilot reviews to see if customers are happy.
We do this to ensure you find suppliers offering great value and service, not just the big names.
1. Shopstar - Best all-in-one dropshipping platform for South Africa
| Our Shopstar Rating: | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | General |
| Product prices | Average |
| Product quality | High |
| Product catalog size | Medium |
| Delivery time | 3-7 Business days |
| Main features | - South African-based suppliers - All-in-one platform - Fully automated fulfillment |
| Pricing | R220 / R475 / R740 per month |
| User reviews | 4.9 out of 5.0 on Google |
Shopstar is a South African-based platform that helps people start, manage, and grow their online businesses.
In other words, this is not a standalone dropshipping supplier.
Instead, Shopstar offers a drag-and-drop ecommerce platform, multiple payment gateways, a local support team, and more!
However, the feature we are particularly interested in today is the dropshipping marketplace.
It's a marketplace where you can find hundreds of South African dropshipping suppliers!
Pros
- South African-based suppliers. Shopstar ensures that all suppliers in their marketplace are local, South African-based businesses with a proven track record.
- All-in-one platform. With Shopstar, you can create your online store, set up payment gateways, find suppliers, and more!
- Fully automated fulfillment. Your dropshipping supplier will automatically be notified of any sales and ship the product to the customer.
Cons
- No external integrations. The main disadvantage of Shopstar is that they don't have any integrations to external ecommerce platforms. So, you can't use their dropshipping marketplace in combination with a Shopify store, for example.
How do you connect Shopstar to your store?
When you're dropshipping with Shopstar, your store will be built with Shopstar!
Pricing
Shopstar's pricing plans range from R220 to R740 per month.
However, you can try them for free for 14 days and they also give you a 50% discount on your first two months:
2. Gelato - Best for print on demand in South Africa
| Our Gelato Rating: | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | Print on demand |
| Product prices | Average |
| Product quality | Average |
| Product catalog size | Medium |
| Delivery time | 5-9 Business days |
| Main features | - 24/7 Customer support - Ecommerce platform integrations - Production center in South Africa |
| Pricing | $0 / $24 / $119 per month |
| User reviews | 4.8 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
Gelato is a global print on demand dropshipping supplier that sources from over 100 print partners in 32 countries.
Due to this huge network, close to 90% of Gelato's orders can be produced locally, reducing the shipping times to an average of three days.
And, South Africa is one of the countries in Gelato's network!
In terms of products, Gelato offers many unique categories. Among them is a nice collection of men's, women's, kid's, and baby clothing, as well as other items!
Pros
- 24/7 Customer support. You can contact Gelato's support 24/7. Anywhere, anytime.
- Ecommerce platform integrations. Using Gelato's integrations, you can easily connect it to your store to easily add new products and fulfill orders!
- Eco-friendly efforts in sustainability. Gelato uses certified paper for its printing materials, and its production process is designed to minimize waste and reduce carbon emissions.
Cons
- Limited items. Not all of Gelato's products are produced in South Africa. You can still sell all of their items, but some products will be manufactured in a different country (and will have a longer delivery time.)
- You need to have a subscription to access stock images. Without a Gelato subscription, you may have to rely on your images or purchase them at an additional cost.
How do you connect Gelato to your store?
You can learn more about connecting Gelato to your store on this page.
Pricing
Gelato's pricing plans consist of a free plan, a Gelato+ plan, and a Gelato+ Gold plan:
As you can see, the paid plans offer a discount on the shipping fees, so they will definitely be worth it if you sell many products!
Full Review: Gelato Review: Is it the Best Print on Demand Supplier of 2024?
3. CJdropshipping - Best for low-cost products
| Our CJdropshipping Rating: | 4.7 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | General |
| Product prices | Low |
| Product quality | Made in China |
| Product catalog size | Large |
| Delivery time | 11-28 Business days |
| Main features | - Sourcing service - No monthly membership fee |
| Pricing | Free |
| User reviews | 4.9 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
CJdropshipping is an all-in-one dropshipping supplier that can help you source and ship your products.
As can be seen from their homepage, you can use CJdropshipping to source products from various platforms, including QKsource, 1688, AliExpress, and Taobao.
Most, if not all, suppliers on these platforms will be based in China, but they specialize in quickly shipping to almost any place in the world, including South Africa.
For example, here is a product we found on QKsource that ships to South Africa:
Yes, the delivery time is long, but the product and shipping costs are manageable, which leaves room for a profit margin.
Pros
- No monthly membership fee. When dropshipping with CJdropshipping, you won't have to pay any setup fees, storage fees, or monthly fees.
- Sourcing service. Have you seen an awesome product somewhere but didn't see it on CJdropshipping? If so, you can post a sourcing request, and CJdropshipping's team will try to source it for you!
- Advanced features. With CJdropshipping’s Shopify app, you can access advanced features like automated order fulfillment.
- TikTok Shop integration. Are you dropshipping with TikTok? Then you'll be pleased to know that you can use CJdropshipping's TikTok Shop integration to automate order syncing and fulfillment!
Cons
- Not the fastest delivery times. Considering the products are shipped from China, CJdropshipping offers good delivery times. However, you can achieve faster shipping times by working with local suppliers. The problem is that it's very difficult to find dropshipping suppliers that ship from South Africa.
How do you connect CJdropshipping to your store?
You can install CJdropshipping's Shopify app to connect it to your store:
For a few of the Shopify alternatives, CJdropshipping can also be connected to your store using their web app.
Pricing
CJdropshipping does not charge any monthly subscription fees!
Full Review: CJdropshipping Review: Better Than AliExpress? (& Reliable?)
4. BrandsGateway - Best for dropshipping designer clothing
| Our BrandsGateway Rating: | 4.6 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | Designer clothing |
| Product prices | Low (High discounts) |
| Product quality | Famous fashion brands |
| Product catalog size | Medium |
| Delivery time | 5-7 Business days |
| Main features | - Fast worldwide shipping - B2B designer clothing marketplace - Real-time tracking of all orders - Automated fulfillment |
| Pricing | $308 per month |
| User reviews | 4.2 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
If you’ve always dreamt of owning a luxury fashion brand store, BrandsGateway is a supplier you must consider.
BrandsGateway specializes in luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Swarovski, Michael Kors, and Versace. Therefore, it is also a high-ticket dropshipping supplier.
It operates from several offices in Europe and warehouses in the US, Germany, Sweden, and Italy:
Yes, that's not South Africa, but the great thing about BrandsGateway is that they ship worldwide in just five to seven business days:
Pros
- Fast shipping. Even though BrandsGateway doesn't ship to South Africa, they ship worldwide in just five to seven business days!
- High-quality imagery. A subscription to BrandsGateway also includes professional product photos and descriptions, which you may use in your store.
- Automated order placement. BrandsGateway provides automated solutions for Shopify, Shift4Shop, Wix, and WooCommerce stores.
- Return policy. BrandsGateway gives your customers 14 days to return the product after they receive it. However, they don't cover the return shipping costs.
Pro tip: To make your clothing store stand out, you can also use an app like OnModel or Botika to turn the existing product photos into unique images using AI!
Cons
- Not for businesses that are just beginning. BrandsGateway’s membership fee is definitely more expensive compared to the average dropshipping supplier. Signing up costs $308 per month.
How do you connect BrandsGateway to your store?
BrandsGateway offers an automated plugin solution for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Shift4Shop stores.
Pricing
BrandsGateway works with a single all-in-one dropshipping plan, but you can pay monthly or yearly:
Full Review: BrandsGateway Review: Is It Your Ultimate Clothing Supplier?
5. Printful - Best for dropshipping custom clothing
| Our Printful Rating: | 4.6 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | Print on demand |
| Product prices | High |
| Product quality | High |
| Product catalog size | Large |
| Delivery time | 8-14 Business days |
| Main features | - High quality; only 0.24% of Printful's orders are reshipped - Excellent support - Custom branding with packaging, pack-ins, packing slips, and more |
| Pricing | $0 / $24.99 per month |
| User reviews | 4.6 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
This is a company you may have heard of before; it is called Printful!
Printful is a dropshipping supplier in the print on demand niche. It has warehouses all over the world:
Printful doesn't have printing facilities in South Africa, but it does ship there in 8 to 14 business days:
Using Printful, you can design your own products like T-shirts, hoodies, earrings, and posters and sell them online!
Pros
- Relatively large product collection. Currently, Printful offers more than 250 unique products that you can fully customize to your liking. That includes products like bags, towels, and (of course) T-shirts!
- Great integrations. You can connect Printful to more than 20 ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Cons
- No refunds for orders in the wrong size or color. Since each product is unique, it will cost you money each time a customer orders something in the wrong size or color, as Printful won’t refund it.
How do you connect Printful to your store?
You can connect Printful with almost any ecommerce platform or online marketplace. Check out this page for more info!
Pricing
Printful is generally free, but there are two paid monthly memberships available for extra perks:
Printful's memberships are Printful Growth and Printful Business, and here is an overview of them:
Full Review: Printful Review: The Key to High-Quality POD Products?
6. Zendrop - Best for shipping from China
| Our Zendrop Rating: | 4.6 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | General |
| Product prices | Average |
| Product quality | Average |
| Product catalog size | Large |
| Delivery time | 14-18 Business days |
| Main features | - Automated dropshipping - Great customer support - Custom thank-you cards |
| Pricing | $0 / $49 / $79 per month |
| User reviews | 4.8 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
Zendrop is a dropshipping supplier that offers over a million products.
Most of them are stored in China, but a significant number also ships from the US.
And yes, that also means that Zendrop doesn't ship from South Africa.
Luckily, they do ship to South Africa:
The shipping time is lengthy at an average of 18.5 days, but on the other hand, we found that the average shipping costs are manageable:
Pros
- 24/7 support. You can use Zendrop's support team to get help for your business all around the clock.
- Custom branding. Zendrop can help you get started with private labeling or something like adding a custom thank-you card to your packages.
Cons
- Access to all features isn't free. If you need features like automated fulfillment or custom branding, you must sign up for Zendrop's Pro plan.
How do you connect Zendrop to your store?
You can connect your store using Zendrop's Shopify app:
Pricing
Take a look at Zendrop's pricing plans below:
Full Review: Zendrop Review: Is It Better Than Using AliExpress in 2024?
7. Syncee - Best for automated dropshipping
| Our Syncee Rating: | 4.5 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | General |
| Product prices | Average |
| Product quality | Average |
| Product catalog size | Large |
| Delivery time | 4-15 Business days |
| Main features | - Unique dropshipping products - Fully automated |
| Pricing | $29 / $49 / $99 per month |
| User reviews | 4.5 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
Syncee is a dropshipping supplier platform that is partnered with many different suppliers around the world.
Simply said, it’s a place where dropshippers and retailers can find their suppliers!
Unfortunately, there are no South African-based suppliers on Syncee, but you can find plenty of international dropshipping suppliers that ship to South Africa:
Pros
- Chat with suppliers. Using Syncee’s built-in communication tool, you will be able to ask suppliers some important questions before partnering with them.
- Auto order. When integrated with their app, for example, the Syncee Shopify app, new orders will be automatically forwarded to your supplier. This feature is also available on the free plan!
Cons
- High shipping costs. Since the products will ship to South Africa from different countries, the shipping costs will be quite high (they can be around $40).
- Pricing. If you want to publish more than 25 products on your store, Syncee will cost at least $49 per month if you pay monthly.
How do you connect Syncee to your store?
Currently, Syncee can be connected to online stores created with Shopify, BigCommerce, Ecwid, and a few other ecommerce platforms.
You can find a list of Syncee’s existing integrations on their homepage.
Pricing
Syncee’s pricing plans range from $29 to $99 per month (you need at least the Basic plan to start selling):
However, don't forget you can test any of the plans for 14 days without actual charges. And if you choose to pay annually, you can save up to eight monthly subscription costs!
Exclusive Syncee Offer for Shopify and Wix users: Use DoDropshipping10 during checkout to enjoy a 10% off on the Pro, Business, Plus Marketplace plans. This offer is valid with your first subscription plan and for a limited time. Don't miss out!
Full Review: Syncee Review: Does It Have the Best Global Suppliers?
8. Spocket - Best for shipping from the US/EU
| Our Spocket Rating: | 4.5 out of 5.0 |
| Niche | General |
| Product prices | High |
| Product quality | Average |
| Product catalog size | Large |
| Delivery time | 8-14 Business days |
| Main features | - Original products - Easily order samples - Branded invoicing |
| Pricing | $40 / $60 / $100 / $299 per month |
| User reviews | 4.7 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot |
Spocket is a platform used for finding local dropshipping suppliers.
Once you're logged in, you can filter suppliers based on the location they ship from (or ship to).
By doing so, you can find suppliers from a specific country, like Canada:
There are no suppliers that ship from South Africa on Spocket, but you will find suppliers that ship to South Africa:
After clicking on an item, like the decorated skull above, you will find more details about the delivery time and shipping costs:
As you can see, this high-ticket item ships worldwide (including to South Africa) in 8 to 14 business days.
Pros
- Order samples. With Spocket, you can order samples with a few simple clicks to test out the products and suppliers!
- Many integration possibilities. Spocket can be integrated with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
- Branded invoicing. When scaling your business, you can consider upgrading to the Pro plan to unlock branded invoicing.
Cons
- Customized packaging is not available. If you are looking to private label your business and ship your products using customized packaging, Spocket isn't for you.
- No South African-based suppliers. When using Spocket, you won't be able to achieve the quick shipping times of using local suppliers.
- Pricing. The pricing plans are relatively expensive.
How do you connect Spocket to your store?
Spocket offers integrations with most of the popular ecommerce platforms! You can check out their website for more information.
Pricing
Spocket's pricing plans are shown below:
Exclusive Spocket offer: Enter the coupon code: SpocketTrial during checkout, and you'll instantly unlock a FREE 30-day trial. Click here to redeem your free trial now!
If you're interested in Spocket but don't want to pay anything yet, you can sign up for their free 14-day trial to browse through Spocket's catalog.
And, you can learn more about Spocket's pricing plans in this article here!
Full Review: Spocket Review: Does It Have the Best Suppliers in 2024?
Does dropshipping work in South Africa?
Thinking about starting a dropshipping business in South Africa?
That's great!
But let's be honest; as you might have noticed, South Africa is far from the easiest country to start a dropshipping store in due to its underdeveloped infrastructure.
You've got a few paths to consider.
One, you could source products from local suppliers and sell them to South Africans.
Two, you could bring in products from overseas, like China, to sell locally.
Or three, you could sell products from one country to customers in another, all while you're based in South Africa:
From the supplier list in this article, only Shopstar and Gelato support option 1. From our research, these are the only suppliers worth using that ship from South Africa.
As mentioned before, you could also choose a supplier based in a different country and ship to South Africa (option 2).
The main disadvantages are longer shipping times and higher shipping costs.
In a nutshell, while dropshipping in South Africa comes with its hurdles, it's not impossible.
It's all about choosing the right strategy and being prepared for the challenges!
Learn more: Dropshipping in South Africa: Is It Possible in 2024?
Great dropshipping suppliers in other countries
Not sure yet about dropshipping to South Africa? Or are you interested in scaling further to other countries?
We’ve got you covered! Check out the lists below to find great suppliers in different countries:
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in India
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Canada
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Europe
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Malaysia
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Australia
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in New Zealand
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in the United States
- Best Dropshipping Suppliers in the United Kingdom
Plus, don’t forget to check our guide on the best countries for dropshipping!
Final verdict
We hope you’ve found a fitting dropshipping supplier from one of the options on this list.
But what is our final verdict?
What is the best dropshipping supplier in South Africa?
Final verdict: The best dropshipping supplier in South Africa is Shopstar because it's a dropshipping marketplace with hundreds of South African-based suppliers and its fully automated fulfillment.
Here's a table containing our overview from earlier, which you can use to check out all the different suppliers easily:
| Supplier | Rating | Price |
| Shopstar | 4.7/5.0 | R220 / R475 / R740 per month |
| Gelato | 4.7/5.0 | $0 / $24 / $119 per month |
| CJdropshipping | 4.7/5.0 | Free |
| BrandsGateway | 4.6/5.0 | $308 per month |
| Printful | 4.6/5.0 | $0 / $24.99 per month |
| Zendrop | 4.6/5.0 | $0 / $49 / $79 per month |
| Syncee | 4.5/5.0 | $29 / $49 / $99 per month |
| Spocket | 4.5/5.0 | $40 / $60 / $100 / $299 per month |
If you have any questions or suggestions for this list, don’t forget that you can always leave a comment below.
Best of luck with the search for your dropshipping supplier!
Have a great day!
Want to learn more about dropshipping?
Ready to move your dropshipping store to the next level? Check out the articles below:
- The 40 Most Insightful Dropshipping Statistics in 2024
- 10+ Best Countries for Dropshipping in 2024 (& 5 to Avoid)
- How to Create a Dropshipping Shipping Policy? (+ Template)
Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth guide on how to start dropshipping here!
