Legal updates and opinions
News / News
Urgent update: directions issued regarding the sale of clothing, footwear and bedding during Alert Level 4
by Jacques van Wyk, Director; Andre van Heerden, Senior Associate; and Thabisa Yantolo, Candidate Attorney
On 12 May 2020 the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel, published Directions (“Directions”) in terms of the Regulations issued by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in terms of the Disaster Management Act. The Directions provide details regarding the items of clothing, footwear and bedding that may be sold by retailers / purchased by consumers under Alert Level 4 of the lockdown. The items can be sold / purchased with effect of 12 May 2020. The items are set out below:
Clothing
- All baby and toddler clothing and footwear.
- All children’s wear, including:
- outerwear;
- underwear;
- sleepwear;
- school wear and school shoes;
- footwear;
- socks; and
- related accessories.
- All maternity wear.
- All adult sleepwear and gowns.
- All adult underwear.
- The following adult outerwear categories:
- active wear, including gym, running and other exercise apparel;
- knitwear;
- jackets and coats;
- dresses;
- long sleeved tops;
- long sleeved t-shirts;
- denim jeans and denim jackets;
- pants;
- skirts;
- short sleeved knit tops, where promoted and displayed as worn under cardigans and knitwear;
- short sleeved t-shirts, where promoted and displayed as under garments for warmth;
- leggings;
- crop bottoms worn with boots and leggings;
- shirts, either short- or long-sleeved, where displayed and promoted to be worn under jackets coats and / or knitwear;
- golf shirts; or
- one-pieces such as bodysuits.
- The following adult accessories:
- shawls and scarves;
- beanies;
- gloves;
- socks;
- belts;
- headwear;
- gym and exercise apparel accessories; and
- hair accessories.
Footwear
- The following adult footwear categories:
- boots;
- slippers;
- closed-toe heels;
- closed-toe flat shoes;
- sneakers and trainers;
- smart closed-toe shoes; or
- casual closed-toe shoes.
Bedding
- The following bedding categories:
- baby bedding and blankets;
- duvets;
- duvet inners;
- blankets;
- comforters;
- quilts;
- mattress protectors;
- pillows;
- throws;
- sheets and pillow cases; and
- electric blankets.
Should you require any formal advice regarding the above please feel free to contact us.
Latest News
A Catalyst for Economic Growth – Proposed Amendments to South Africa’s Merger Thresholds
by Ahmore Burger-Smidt, Director and Head of Regulatory On 27 January 2026, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks [...]
Privacy Day 2026: Moving beyond the consent myth under POPIA
DOWNLOAD PDF South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA") provides multiple lawful bases for processing personal [...]
Back to the Future – Amendment of Rule 18 of the Ethical Rules leaves practitioners in uncertain territory
By Neil Kirby - Director and Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Slade van Rooyen - Associate and Farah Yassin [...]
Code Red to Code Regulated: South Africa’s Data, AI and Cybersecurity Shift in 2025, and What’s to Come in 2026?
by Armand Swart, Director, Hlonelwa Lutuli, Associate and Hanán Jeppie, Candidate Attorney South Africa's data protection, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence [...]
The Gauteng school placements crisis (2026) – Why children are still waiting and what the law says
By Naledi Motsiri - Director and Nothando Nyoni - Associate As the 2026 school year begins, many parents in Gauteng [...]
The Introduction of a Dedicated Insolvency Court in Pretoria
by Eric Levenstein - Director and Head of Insolvency & Business Rescue and Amy Mackechnie - Senior Associate Following the [...]
