Check that a Post Office branch is still open before you travel to it. The South African Post Office has been in business rescue, and 366 branches were permanently closed while 657 remain open. Closures were not spread evenly, so a branch that was trading a year ago may not be. This matters most for the things people travel specifically to do: collect a parcel, collect an identity document, or bank.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not the Post Office and cannot trace a parcel or open a box for you. Everything here is a routing aid.
Where the Post Office stands
- SAPO entered business rescue and its practitioners filed an application to exit the process at the High Court in Pretoria on 12 June 2026. That application was still before the court as at August 2026, and SAPO publishes notices and status reports on its own site.
- 366 branches closed permanently; 657 remain. There is no substitute for checking the specific branch you intend to use.
- Postbank branch services changed. SAPO published a notice to Postbank customers about branch services with effect from 2 May 2026. If you bank with Postbank or receive a grant through it, confirm where and how you can transact before relying on a branch.
- SAPO does not publish individual branch telephone numbers in a central list. The national customer services route below, and the branch locator on its own website, are the reliable ways to check.
Verified national routes
Verified on the Post Office’s own website on 21 August 2026.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| SAPO customer services | 0860 111 502 |
| Customer services email | [email protected] |
| Philatelic and stamp enquiries | [email protected] |
Collecting a parcel
- Bring the notification slip and your identity document. Without both, most branches will not release a parcel.
- Go promptly. Unclaimed parcels are returned to sender after a limited holding period, and that period is short. A returned parcel is far harder to recover than a waiting one.
- If you are collecting for someone else, take their written authority, a copy of their identity document and your own. Requirements vary, so confirm before travelling.
- Customs charges on an international parcel are raised through official channels at the branch, not by SMS link. A message demanding a fee through a link is phishing.
The scam that follows every delivery
Fake delivery and customs messages are among the most common scams in South Africa. They work because almost everyone is expecting something. A message claiming a parcel is held pending a small fee, with a link to pay, is phishing regardless of how official it looks.
- The Post Office does not collect customs or release fees through a link in an SMS or WhatsApp.
- Check any tracking number on the Post Office’s own site, reached by typing the address yourself.
- Never enter card details on a page you reached from a delivery message.
- A real customs charge is raised on a real parcel with a real tracking number, and you can verify both.
What else a Post Office branch does
- Post boxes, rented annually, with renewal handled at the branch that holds the box.
- Registered mail and courier services, which are tracked and require identification to collect.
- Motor vehicle licence renewals at participating branches, which is a service worth confirming by branch rather than assuming.
- Postbank services, subject to the change noted above.
If something goes wrong
- Raise it with the branch first and get a reference number.
- Escalate to SAPO customer services on the national number with that reference.
- For a lost or damaged item, ask what compensation applies. Ordinary mail carries very limited liability; registered and insured items carry more.
- For an unresolved consumer complaint, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes complaints free of charge once the supplier’s own process has been used.
Related contact pages
- Government contact pages
- Transport and courier contact pages
- Complaints and escalation contact pages
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
Frequently asked questions
Is my local Post Office still open?
Check before travelling. 366 branches were permanently closed during business rescue and 657 remain open. Use the branch locator on the Post Office’s own website or call customer services.
Does the Post Office publish branch phone numbers?
Not in a central list. The national customer services number is the published route, and the branch itself can give you its number once you reach it.
Is the Post Office closing down?
It has been in business rescue rather than liquidation, and its practitioners applied in June 2026 to exit the process. It continues to operate, with a reduced branch network.
What happened to Postbank at the Post Office?
SAPO published a notice to Postbank customers about branch services effective 2 May 2026. If you bank or receive a grant through Postbank, confirm where you can transact rather than assuming a branch still offers it.
I got an SMS asking for a customs fee. Is it real?
Treat it as phishing. The Post Office does not collect fees through a link in a message. Check the tracking number on its own website instead.
How long is a parcel held before it is returned?
A limited period, and a short one. Collect promptly, because a returned parcel is much harder to recover.
Routes on this page were checked against the Post Office’s own website on 21 August 2026. Branch status changes, and the official branch locator is always the authority.