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- Documents Needed
- Restricted Goods
- Packing Advice
- Shipment Protection
- National Holidays
- FAQs
Customs
For personal effects, expect 2-4 days customs delays. Full duties applicable on clothing sent to charitable organisations. Used goods are prohibited into South Africa unless an import permit has been granted by the Department of Trade & Industry. Owner (consignee) must be in possession of a South African passport with exit and re-entry stamps in it.
Gifts are subject to duties/vat. Undervalued shipments will be confiscated & sold by South African Customs.
Before sending your parcel to South Africa, please make sure that none of the items in your parcels contravene the restrictions imposed by customs at destination.
Customs website: http://www.sars.gov.za/
Documents Needed
After you have paid for a shipping service to South Africa, you will be redirected
to a page where you can download and print out the relevant shipping labels, i.e
AWB (Courier Air Waybills - barcode) - Proforma or Commercial invoice - Address label.
The above documents are standard for any international shipment.
Please note, if additional documentation is required for the import of any particular item, it is the
customer's responsibility to provide them at destination.
Restrictions
Goods travelling by 'Cargo' are subject to different restrictions to those travelling as carry-on
luggage.
A shipment to South Africa is deemed unacceptable if: it is classified as
hazardous material, dangerous goods, prohibited or restricted articles by IATA (International Air
Transport Association), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) or other relevant organisation.
Many items which appear harmless in everyday use can pose danger on air transport and are consequently
forbidden for transport.
The following page displays a sampling of common prohibited and restricted goods.
http://www.rapidparcel.com/help/prohibited-items.php
Packing Advice
Your parcel must be boxed and well packaged. This will reduce the risk of damage to any item during
transit or any associated automated distribution process.
Please be aware the item is not taken by hand from collection to destination and will visit many sorted
facilities on its journey. For that reason, you need to protect the items to ensure they make it from A
to B safely.
The following packaging guidelines are recommendations to assist you in packaging your shipment:
http://www.rapidparcel.com/help/packing-advice.php
Shipment Protection
When you book a shipping service to South Africa, you will be able to choose an
appropriate level of cover for your shipment. We offer enhanced parcel protection for up to £2000
for a small additional fee.
If you do not purchase enhanced Shipment Protection, your shipment will be only covered to a maximum
value of £50 as per the limited liability set out in our
Terms & Conditions and subject to your
parcel passing minimum packaging requirements.
Please note that the declared value for customs purposes is not related to the declared value selected
for Shipment Protection. We encourage all customers to purchase shipment protection cover for loss or
damage.
National Holidays
- 01/01/2024 - New year's day
- 02/01/2024 - Kaapse klopse
- 21/03/2024 - Human rights day
- 27/04/2024 - Freedom day
- 01/05/2024 - Worker's day
- 25/05/2024 - Africa day
- 16/06/2024 - Youth day
- 18/07/2024 - Nelson mandela`s birthday
- 09/08/2024 - Women's day
- 24/09/2024 - Heritage day
- 17/10/2024 - Family day
- 16/12/2024 - Day of the vow and reconciliation day
- 25/12/2024 - Christmas day
- 26/12/2024 - Day of goodwill
FAQs
We have a detailed and comprehensive Help Section here. If you cannot find
the answer or advice you are looking for there, please use our enquiry form
When you need to find a reliable company to handle your shipping to South Africa, look no further than RapidParcel.com. With decades of experience delivering packages across the world you’ll find the help and information we provide when shipping your parcels to be second to none.
International customs simplified
International customs regulations are complex and subject to continuous change, but you’ll find that the information we have on our website, and the confirmation documentation you’ll receive when you book through us, gives you a good insight into what you need to know. Of course, the final responsibility for complying with customs regulations lies with the customer, but we can give you some guidance on what items are restricted or might incur additional duties at the destination end of their journey.
Guidelines vary from country to country but through our site we give you access to our knowledge on the subject, and where major changes occur we will do our best to post them on our blog which we’d suggest that you review from time to time. Whatever the destination for your parcel delivery to South Africa, be it Cape Town or Johannesburg, Durban or Port Elizabeth, our useful customs guide will give you the basic details on what to expect when sending your packages internationally.
You can be confident that RapidParcel.com has the specialist knowledge you need when sending your parcels abroad because not only do we have years of experience but we work with the best courier partners in the industry.
The finest delivery services at the best prices
By using RapidParcel.com to help you arrange your package delivery to South Africa, you not only get to use a reputable, reliable, well-informed courier but you can also take advantage of the exceptional rates we have negotiated with them, which are some of the lowest on the market today.
Over twenty-five years of experience in the industry has provided us with the knowledge and the courier relationships to make us one of the world’s leading courier comparison websites. So, if you are looking for world-class service from the best national and international couriers available at the lowest rates on the market, think RapidParcel.com.
