Widespread theft by South African postal services workers has led Internet retailing giant Amazon to halt all postal deliveries to the country, a local newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Business Day said that Amazon had long distrusted South Africa's postal service, refusing to deliver high-priced goods such as electronic items or perfumes.

Local website Wantitall, which orders goods through Amazon and couriers them in bulk to South Africa to bypass the postal system, said the number of items stolen from Amazon was "massive".

"Ask how many people have had stuff stolen from Amazon and it's massive," said Wantitall founder Justin Drennan. "Amazon was reshipping things at its own cost but it's had enough."

"People were also ordering DVDs and telling Amazon they hadn't received them."

Customers who still wish to order from the site will have to pay about R420 ($52, €33) for a private shipping courier, the paper said.

AFP