Important Update – Hardware Pricing & Availability, Quote Validity and Product Changes
We would like to inform you of several important developments impacting hardware pricing, availability and lifecycle status across the retail technology landscape. These changes are being driven by global supply conditions and are affecting the broader market, including South Africa.
Over recent months, we have seen significant increases in the cost of core hardware components, particularly RAM and SSD storage. These components are fundamental to all PCs, servers and POS terminals.
- Pre-built PCs and servers have increased by approximately 19% to 31% since late last year
- Local reports indicate SSD price increases exceeding 50%, with memory prices rising sharply quarter-on-quarter
These increases are largely driven by global manufacturers redirecting supply toward AI infrastructure and hyperscale data centres, where demand and margins are significantly higher. As a result, supply into commercial and retail channels has tightened, pushing prices upward.
In addition to pricing pressure, the market is experiencing structural shortages of key components. South Africa is particularly impacted due to:
- Heavy reliance on imported hardware
- USD-based pricing fluctuations
- Limited local stock availability
While previously held stock helped buffer some of these increases, replacement inventory is now entering the market at substantially higher costs and availability remains constrained.
Given the volatility in pricing and supply, it is essential that we strictly enforce our quotation validity period. All quotations remain valid for 14 days only. This ensures that:
- Pricing remains aligned with current supplier costs
- We can honour quotes accurately without exposure to sudden increases
- Clients receive realistic and achievable pricing based on available stock
We strongly encourage clients to proceed within this period to avoid potential price changes or stock unavailability.
Please note that the PartnerTech SP635 POS terminal has officially reached End-of-Life (EOL) status and is no longer in production.
Please note that:
- Existing installations remain fully supported
- All warranties will be honoured for their full term
- Spare parts will be available for a minimum of 8 years from the EOL date
We recommend engaging with your account manager to discuss replacement models and future-ready alternatives.
