Most people enter a new market based on gut feelings and others’ stories. But gut feelings can be deceiving; data cannot.

This article breaks down the eight most critical statistics about the South African e-commerce market—not just general market size, but the figures that directly impact your decision-making.

On July 1, 2026, the “Regulations of the State Council on Foreign Investment” (State Council Decree No. 837) officially took effect.

Many cross-border sellers think this regulation doesn’t apply to them—”I’m not a big company, and my investment isn’t that large—so what does this have to do with me?”

Article 2 of Order No. 837 states clearly: ”Domestic enterprises, other organizations, and domestic residents may, through capital, assets, equity, guarantees, or other means, directly or indirectly acquire control, management rights, or ownership of assets in overseas companies… This provision shall apply mutatis mutandis to investments in the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions.”

These six words—”Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan shall follow the same guidelines”—mean that mainland sellers with companies in Hong Kong are also included in this round of regulatory measures.

Many sellers take the wrong first step when entering the Southeast Asian TikTok market—it’s not that they choose the wrong products, but that they choose the wrong business model.

In 2026, TikTok Shop’s Southeast Asia policy underwent a major adjustment: a single business license can now be used to open up to 25 stores across multiple countries, and new stores are exempt from the security deposit requirement for up to 90 days. As soon as the news broke, a large number of sellers preparing to enter the market began gathering materials and submitting applications for review.

But many people don't realize that, among these 25 stores, the versions available to mainland companies and Hong Kong companies are not the same.

On July 1, 2026, the “State Council Regulations on Foreign Investment” (Decree No. 837) will officially take effect. For cross-border e-commerce sellers and owners of companies expanding overseas, this […]

Recently, a case involving tax evasion by a Shenzhen-based cross-border seller who received payments through a personal account has drawn attention in the cross-border e-commerce community. A Shenzhen-based company actually generated cross-border sales revenue of 3 [...] in 2021.