The communications & digital technologies department has issued a wide-ranging request for information (RFI) inviting potential partners to help modernise and commercialise key parts of the South African Post Office (Sapo), including its digital platform.

It forms part of the company’s turnaround strategy to optimise its assets and infrastructure through partnerships with both the private and public sectors. The Post Office has been in business rescue since July 2023.

According to the RFI document, the department is seeking input on strategic partnerships, innovation opportunities and commercial models that could help the Post Office become financially sustainable again.

Areas the department wants input on include digital platforms; postal and courier services; financial inclusion; government service delivery; and infrastructure. They will focus on:

⁠Digital platform modernisation (customer-facing systems, digital service delivery, payments);
Co-developing new products, services and digital tools such as parcel lockers and digital post boxes by leveraging the Post Office’s national footprint;
Transforming the company’s retail footprint into franchised or co-managed hubs that extend access to business, digital and e-government services (including, for example, acting as Rica agents for mobile network operators);
Enabling intellectual property generation and technology transfer through innovation and white-label licensing models;
E-commerce fulfilment, warehousing and last-mile logistics;
Optimising and monetising Post Office real estate and branch networks;
Expanding access to government services via Post Office branches; and
Developing new revenue streams through retail, fintech and digital-identity services.

Under the mobile network section, the department said potential partnerships it wants to explore include those with mobile network operators, fintechs and content providers seeking low-cost digital onboarding and distribution channels.

It is also seeking partnerships with banks and fintechs to install ATMs or shared financial service kiosks to expand rural reach.

Lifeline

The Post Office has been in financial dire straits for years, a situation that has been exacerbated by its inability to transform from a traditional postal services provider to a hybrid logistics and digital platform specialist.

Earlier this year, it once again received a temporary lifeline from the government through the approval of a R381-million “income support” grant to pay pay salaries. The subsidy took the total bailout amount the government has given to the Post Office to R9.8-billion since 2014.

It asked the treasury for a further R3.8-billion, which was declined in July.

Read: R10-billion in Post Office bailouts – what the money could have been used for instead

The department said in the RFI that the Post Office is expected to come out of business rescue soon. A market briefing session is planned for 10 December 2025, with responses due by 15 December 2025.

The RFI is non-binding and does not constitute a tender or bid. The department said all responses aim to gauge market interest and will not confer any advantage in future procurement processes.

Meanwhile, the EFF said in a statement on Tuesday that it will oppose “with all our strength” any efforts to dismantle the Post Office.

“We firmly declare that any plans to privatise the South African Post Office must be immediately halted. The EFF will not idly watch the GNU dismantle a crucial public institution,” it said. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media