Shipping guide · Africa
Shipping from China and Hong Kong to South Africa
South Africa has two features that decide most imports: registration as an importer with SARS, which has to exist before anything can be cleared, and the NRCS letter of authority, which many regulated products need before they can enter at all.
- Customs authority
- South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs
- Key registration
- Importer registration with SARS and a customs client number
- Product control
- NRCS letter of authority for regulated goods, obtained per product
- Import VAT
- 15 percent, applied on a value that includes duty and an uplift
- Operational reality
- Durban congestion is persistent and needs planning around
- Main entry points
- Durban, Cape Town and Ngqura by sea, Johannesburg by air
The importer registration is straightforward in principle but not instant, and it is tied to the company tax position. Without a customs client number the entry cannot be filed, and this catches new importers regularly.
The letter of authority from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications is the harder requirement. It covers a wide range of electrical goods, appliances, automotive components and other regulated products, requires testing against South African compulsory specifications, and takes time. It is a per product approval, not a per shipment one, but it has to exist before the goods arrive.
Operationally, Durban is the largest port in sub Saharan Africa and also the most congested. Delays there have been persistent, and for cargo with a deadline the alternatives at Cape Town, Ngqura and Port Elizabeth deserve real consideration rather than being treated as fallbacks.
Where cargo lands
Main freight and distribution centres
Johannesburg and Gauteng
The economic centre and largest market, inland, served by road and rail from Durban and by the main airport.
Durban
The main port city and the entry point for most import cargo, with a large logistics cluster.
Cape Town
The western market with its own port and airport, and a strong retail and hospitality sector.
Gqeberha and Ngqura
The eastern cape automotive manufacturing region with deepwater port capacity alongside.
Sea freight
Ports of entry and what they mean for your cargo
Durban
The largest container port in sub Saharan Africa, serving Gauteng by road and rail. Persistent congestion is the main operational risk.
Cape Town
Serves the western cape directly. Subject to wind related delays but generally less congested than Durban.
Ngqura and Port Elizabeth
Deepwater capacity in the eastern cape, serving the automotive industry and offering an alternative to Durban.
Richards Bay
Primarily a bulk port, relevant for project and heavy cargo.
Durban congestion has been a structural problem rather than an occasional one. For cargo with a firm deadline, routing through Cape Town or Ngqura is a legitimate strategy even where the inland leg is longer.
The inland corridor from Durban to Gauteng is heavily used by both road and rail, and it is the single busiest freight route in the country.
South Africa also serves as the gateway for several neighbouring landlocked countries, so cargo may continue by road to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia or beyond, which needs planning as part of the same movement.
Air freight
Airports and when air is the right answer
Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB)
The main air cargo gateway for southern Africa, with full customs facilities and the widest connectivity.
Cape Town (CPT)
Serves the western cape directly, useful for urgent cargo destined there.
Durban King Shaka (DUR)
Regional gateway with cargo capability alongside the port.
Air freight from Asia into Johannesburg is well served, both directly and via the Gulf, and it is the practical answer for urgent cargo given how variable sea clearance can be.
Johannesburg also functions as the regional air hub for southern Africa, which matters for cargo continuing beyond South Africa.
Indicative transit times
How long the movement usually takes
- Sea FCL, South China to DurbanAround 22 to 32 days port to portDirect and transhipment services both operate. Add congestion risk at destination.
- Sea FCL, South China to Cape TownAround 24 to 34 days port to portOften via a transhipment, but with less congestion exposure.
- Sea LCL, South China to South AfricaAround 32 to 45 days door to doorConsolidation, deconsolidation and port dwell all add time.
- Air freight, Hong Kong or South China to JohannesburgAround 4 to 8 days door to doorDirect and one stop options, including handling and clearance.
These ranges are indicative and exist to help you plan. Real transit time depends on the service, the season, the routing and the clearance itself, and we confirm it per shipment rather than publish it as a promise.
Customs
How clearance into South Africa actually works
The competent authority is South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs.
Importer registration with SARS and a customs client number are required before any entry can be filed. This has to be done in advance, and it is the most common reason a first shipment stalls.
The NRCS letter of authority is required for a broad range of regulated products, including electrical appliances, lighting, automotive components and building materials. It involves testing against the applicable compulsory specification and is issued per product, so it belongs at the start of a project.
VAT is 15 percent, applied to a value that includes duty and a statutory uplift, so the effective VAT base is higher than the customs value alone. Registered businesses recover it through their returns.
Duty depends on classification under the Southern African Customs Union tariff, and rates on finished consumer goods, particularly textiles and footwear, are substantial.
A foreign company without a South African entity needs a local importer, since the importer of record must be registered locally.
Documentation
What you need to have ready
Commercial invoice
Value, terms and a precise description. SARS examines classification and value carefully.
Packing list
Piece counts, weights and dimensions per package.
Bill of Lading or Air Waybill
The transport contract and the release instrument.
SARS importer registration and customs client number
Required before any entry can be filed.
NRCS letter of authority
For regulated products, obtained per product before the goods arrive.
Certificate of origin
Where preferential treatment applies or origin verification is required.
Customs declaration (SAD 500)
Filed by the importer or its clearing agent.
Product specific permits
Health, agricultural or sectoral approvals depending on the goods.
Controlled and restricted goods
What gets stopped, and why
- The NRCS letter of authority is required for many electrical, automotive and building products, and clearance is not possible without it.
- Textiles, clothing and footwear carry high duty rates and face active valuation scrutiny.
- Food and agricultural products require permits from the agriculture department with sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.
- Second hand goods generally require an import permit and are restricted in many categories.
- Undervaluation is a focus of enforcement, and SARS applies valuation controls to goods where declared values look inconsistent.
- Wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15.
Working with Velonex
What clients usually bring us in for on this lane
- Getting SARS registration and the NRCS letter of authority in place before shipping, since both are absolute prerequisites rather than formalities.
- Routing around Durban congestion where the destination allows, using Cape Town or Ngqura for deadline sensitive cargo.
- Electrical goods, appliances and lighting, exactly the categories where the letter of authority requirement bites and where testing takes time.
- Cargo continuing to landlocked neighbours, where the road leg beyond South Africa belongs in the plan from the start.
- Retail and hospitality fit-outs in Johannesburg and Cape Town, where port variability has to be absorbed into a fixed opening date.
Get a quote
Tell us what needs to move to South Africa
We listen before we quote. Share the cargo, the deadline and the constraint, and we will come back with a route that accounts for all three, the documents it will need and a timeline we can stand behind.
Your details
Includes your name, company name and email address
Shipment route
Includes your pickup location and destination
Cargo type
Includes the type of cargo you are shipping
Special requirements
Includes a short note about your challenge
Timeline
Includes your desired timeline
Your quote
A tailored response based on everything above
Corporate logistics partner
Trust, clarity and operational follow through for complex cargo.
Not ready for a quote? Email info@velonex-hk.com or message us on WhatsApp with the question and we will answer it.
Sources
Where this information comes from
- SARS Customs and Excise
- National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS)
- Transnet National Ports Authority
- International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC)
General guidance, last reviewed August 2026. Customs rules and product requirements change, and the treatment of any specific shipment depends on its classification, origin and value. Confirm the detail with us or with the authority before you commit to a movement.
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