As South Africa heads into its busiest trading month, retailers and SMEs face growing pressure to fulfil year-end orders quickly, accurately and without error. With the country’s broader logistics network under strain and consumers becoming increasingly sensitive to delays, delivery performance can make or break customer relationships and in some cases, overall December profitability.

“A failed or delayed delivery affects much more than the parcel itself, it affects customer trust, operational flow, and a business’s bottom line,” says Ivashni Manikkam, General Manager - National Operations at Fastway Couriers South Africa. “December amplifies both expectations and risks, which is why preparation matters, especially in the current environment.”

Fastway has identified the five biggest delivery risks for South African businesses this festive season and the practical steps SMEs can take to avoid them.

1. Damage and breakages during transit

Breakages and damaged goods are among the most disruptive delivery failures for SMEs in December, often leading to refunds, returns and reputation risk.

Fastway limits this risk through its hand-sorted freight handling and sealed cage transport systems. Both are designed to minimise parcel damage without the use of heavy industrial machinery. Every parcel automatically carries limited liability cover of up to R1,000, with optional extended liability of up to R30,000 for higher-value festive consignments.

“Businesses ship more fragile and higher-value items at this time of year, so protecting goods in transit is essential,” says Manikkam.

2. Missed deliveries due to communication gaps

Nationwide, one of the biggest drivers of failed deliveries is not a logistics error, it’s that recipients aren’t home or aren’t expecting the courier. With public holidays, increased travel, and irregular festive routines, this trend spikes in December.

Fastway’s WhatsApp, SMS and email notifications help reduce failed first attempts by keeping customers informed at each step: order created, picked up, on board, and delivered.

“Visibility reduces friction,” Manikkam explains. “When recipients know a delivery is coming, success rates improve immediately.”

3. Address and labelling errors during high-volume shopping periods

During December surges, rushed fulfilment increases the likelihood of incorrect postcodes, incomplete unit numbers or duplicate labels which can cause costly delays.

To reduce manual errors, Fastway offers API integration for automated quoting, suburb/postcode validation and label generation, and SFTP workflows for hands-off processing of high-volume consignments - tools that help businesses maintain accuracy even when order volumes spike.

4. Delivery delays caused by national logistics strain

South Africa’s broader logistics landscape continues to face pressure - from road congestion and infrastructure constraints to national bottlenecks affecting transport efficiency.

In this context, resilient last-mile capacity becomes essential. Fastway’s Johannesburg automated hub can process over 6,000 parcels per hour, significantly increasing throughput and helping absorb December peaks. This is supported by a network of 800 locally owned courier franchisees across 16 regional territories that provide reliable last-mile coverage.

“Automation and strong regional courier capacity mean we can maintain consistency even when national networks experience seasonal strain,” says Manikkam.

5. Customer dissatisfaction and the long-term reputational cost

With the high cost of living, consumers have become far less tolerant of service failures. A single late or missing festive delivery can lead to negative reviews, refund demands and permanent customer churn.

“Your delivery partner is often the final touchpoint your customer interacts with,” says Manikkam. “A reliable delivery experience reinforces trust, especially at a time when people are depending on parcels to arrive before year-end gatherings and holidays.”

Festive turnover often determines whether small businesses enter the new year in a stable financial position. Every avoidable delivery failure represents a potential loss in revenue, an increase in operational cost, or a customer who may not return. “For many SMEs, December trading determines first-quarter survival,” Manikkam notes. “Avoiding preventable delivery failures can be the difference between a profitable season and a loss.”

Fastway recommends five practical steps to help SMEs protect themselves this festive season:

• Validate addresses before dispatch
• Use correct packaging, especially for fragile or high-value items
• Communicate cut-off dates clearly to customers
• Integrate tracking and data accuracy tools into order workflows
• Use extended liability cover for valuable festive inventory

These measures help reduce avoidable disruptions and safeguard customer experience during the most demanding trading period of the year.