Removals to South Africa from the UK
Quick - Trusted - Safe
Covering Whole of South Africa
Full Container & Part Load's
Most Reliable International Shipping to South Africa
At Removals, our experts offer a curative, hassle-free, secure international removals service. We ensure your prized possessions arrive safely and on time, whether you’re moving a few essential items or your entire family’s home.
How do removals to South Africa from the UK work?
Removals from the UK to South Africa by sea or air, door to door. We export-wrap and inventory your belongings in the UK, ship them to Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura or Port Elizabeth, clear them through South African customs and deliver them inland. Clearance normally depends on you being in the country when the shipment arrives.
How long do removals to South Africa take?
A dedicated 20ft or 40ft container runs about 4 to 6 weeks port to port. A shared container, or part load, averages 8 to 12 weeks door-to-door because it includes consolidation and clearance. Air freight averages 7 to 14 days door-to-door. The inland road leg is part of the timeline.
Should I ship a full container, a part load or air freight to South Africa?
A full container suits a two- to three-bedroom home in a 20 ft container and anything larger in a 40 ft container, sealed at your door and cleared as one consignment in your name. A part load suits a flat or small office, and you pay only for the space you used. Air freight suits small, urgent consignments and is priced by weight.
We offer shipping options to match your household volume, budget, and timeline.
- Sea Freight (The Least Expensive Option)
The most common and cost-effective means of moving a household internationally is by sea freight. We offer two different services:
Full Container Load (FCL) – Large Move
- Perfect for: A three-bedroom house or bigger volume transfers.
- Service: You receive a 20ft or 40ft container dedicated to you.
- Port-to-Port Time: 4 to 6 weeks, on average.
Less Container Load (LCL)/Groupage – Smaller Moves
- Ideal use: Small flat-pack shipping, a few pieces of furniture, or extra baggage.
- Service: Your goods are packed, crated and professionally joined with other clients shipping to South Africa. You pay for the space your products take up.
- Approximate Transit Time (Door-to-Door): 8-12 weeks is considered average (because it includes time spent on consolidation and customs clearance).
- Air Freight (The Fastest Alternative)
- Ideal for: Urgent, high-priority or smaller consignments like personal effects, necessary clothing or valuable papers.
- Benefits: Unrivalled speed.
- Approximate Transit Time (Door-to-Door): 7-14 days on average.
The 4-Step Remover Moving Process
Our lean process ensures each step of your move is handled with professional attention, leaving you with no worries.
- Initial Survey & Quote
Contact us to schedule a thorough home or video survey. Our expert will accurately estimate the quantity of your items, clarify your destination and service needs (FCL, LCL, or Air), and provide a clear, itemised quote.
- Professional Delivery Pick-upup
Our well-trained export packing crew will be at your door on the day we agree. We export-wrap all furniture and smaller items in specialist, sturdy materials and fit them into high-quality cartons to withstand the shocks of international transit. Then we’ll pick up your goods and transport them safely to the departure port in the UK.
- Shipping & Transit
Your dedicated Move Manager will manage the transport of your consignment and use reputable shipping lines with frequent sailings. You can track your shipment, and we provide frequent updates and a manifest/Bill of Lading.
- Customs Clearance & Delivery
When we reach a key port in South Africa (e.g., Durban, Cape Town), our local, reliable partners complete the necessary customs and port registration. Once this is cleared, we complete final delivery to your new home in South Africa, including handling your furniture and effects and carefully unloading and unpacking them.
Where in South Africa Can I Send my Items?
- Johannesburg
- Cape Town
- Pietermaritzburg
- Soshanguve
- Port Elizabeth
- Durban
- Pretoria
- Evaton
- George
- Witbank
- Bloemfontein
- Orkney
- Paarl
- Queenstown
- Ermelo
- Polokwane
- Mondlo
- Sasolburg
- Nigel
What documents do I need for removals to South Africa?
South Africa requires an application for duty-free entry of used personal effects, lodged before the shipment arrives, together with your passport and a full itemised inventory. Duty-free entry depends on the goods being used and owned by you. Your Move Manager prepares and submits the application.
Navigating South African Customs regulations is a key part of this process. As our moving partner, we can provide professional advice to ensure you comply.
- Implications of the Duty-Free Importation of Used Household Goods
To be entitled to duty-free and VAT-free immigration of your used household and personal effects, you would normally have to meet the following requirements:
- You must also have possessed and used the goods for at least 12 months before importing.
- You should not plan to sell or discard the items within two years of import.
- Required Documentation
To allow customs clearance, you will need to present the following documentation:
- Original Passport (this should have the date stamp of your arrival/entry into South Africa).
- Certified Permanent or Temporary Residence Permit/ Visa (with validity of at least one year).
- South African Customs Forms (DA304 and P.1.160) – We will provide these forms to be completed.
- Separate, Detailed, Valued Inventory /Packing List of all items shipped.
- Affidavit (a form of sworn declaration of the cause of your moving/coming).
- Outlawed & Forbidden Goods
Some goods are forbidden to import or require a certain permit and are liable to duties:
- Forbidden: Narcotics, sensitive elements, fully automatic firearms and some agricultural products/plants.
- Restricted/Dutiable: Firearms (need a SAP 312 import permit), alcohol, tobacco products (limits apply), and medicines (must be accompanied by a doctor’s prescription).
Why choose Removals.co.uk for shipping to South Africa?
Removals.co.uk has completed over 10,000 moves and is rated 4.6 out of 5 from 110 Trustpilot reviews. We are members of Approved Movers in the UK, and we only work with overseas agents who are members of BAR or FIDI. We ship full containers and part loads to South Africa, and offer storage in the UK.
In-depth Shipping Expertise
We are an accredited international removals firm with offices in the UK, specialising in the South African route to ensure the highest international moving standards are met.
Premium Customer Service
You get a dedicated Move Manager to handle your handover, quote and delivery. We handle all your shipping work with the utmost professionalism.
Global Network
Our destination partners in South Africa are approved and reliable, ensuring smooth delivery and local knowledge.
Evans All-inclusive
We also provide customised, made-to-fit shipment protection plans to cover your goods throughout the entire door-to-door transfer.
Secure Storage
If you need it, we offer secure, climate-controlled storage facilities in the UK before shipping and in South Africa upon arrival.
South Africa one of several? East Africa is the other African route we run. South Africa is 4 to 6 weeks port-to-port on a dedicated container, or 8 to 12 weeks door-to-door on a shared one; part-load removals explain how the shared option works. Vehicle shipping covers taking a car.
Why people trust us with a move
These are not our words. They are our customers, on a review site we do not control.
- 4.6 out of 5 from 110 reviews on Trustpilot, rated Excellent
- Over 10,000 moves completed
- Typically replies within 24 hours, as shown on the Trustpilot profile
- Our own yard and storage at Riverside Industrial Estate, Fazeley, Tamworth
- Members of Approved Movers in the UK, and we only work with overseas agents who are members of BAR or FIDI
- Reviewing since October 2020, and still collecting them every month
Company did an honest job of moving everything. Was super clear, and thorough.
Verified customer, July 2026 – verified Trustpilot review
How your belongings travel to South Africa
| Flight time from the UK | About 11 hours direct to Johannesburg |
|---|---|
| Currency | South African Rand |
| Main airports | Johannesburg OR Tambo, Cape Town, Durban King Shaka |
| Main shipping ports | Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura and Port Elizabeth |
| Customs paperwork | An application for duty-free entry of personal effects, lodged before the shipment arrives, with your passport and a full inventory |
| The one that catches people out | Clearance normally depends on you being in the country with the right permit, and the paperwork is expected before arrival rather than after. Starting it late is the usual reason a container waits at the port. |
Choosing between a container, a part load and air freight
| Option | Best for | What you pay for | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full container | A whole house or a large office. A 20ft suits roughly a two- to three-bedroom home; a 40ft suits anything larger | The container itself, either a 20ft or a 40ft | It is sealed at your door and clears customs as one consignment, on your paperwork, and nobody else’s |
| Part load | A one-bedroom flat, a studio, or a small office. Below roughly three bedrooms, this is usually the sensible choice. | Only the space your boxes actually take up inside the container | The container sails when it is full, so your goods wait on every other consignment inside it |
| Air freight | Smaller and urgent shipments. The small and the urgent: documents, a laptop, a few boxes to live out of while the sea shipment crosses | Priced on weight, so our team will weigh your items and quote on that | Priced by weight, so it is the expensive option for anything bulky |
Which South African port will my shipment arrive at?
Most household goods bound for South Africa arrive in Durban, and most people aren’t moving to Durban. That road leg inland is a real part of the timeline and a real part of the cost, and it is the thing most quotes gloss over.
Johannesburg and Pretoria are roughly 600 kilometres from the port. Cape Town has its own container terminal, so a Cape Town move usually skips the overland leg entirely. Which port your container is routed through therefore changes both what you pay and when you unpack.
Ask about the inland leg before you compare two quotes. A price that looks lower at the port can end up higher on the driveway, and the difference is not always shown on the same line.
Removals to South Africa: frequently asked questions
How long does shipping to South Africa take?
A dedicated container runs about 4 to 6 weeks port to port. A shared container averages 8 to 12 weeks door-to-door, including consolidation and clearance. Air freight averages 7 to 14 days. The inland road leg from the port is additional and depends on your destination.
Do I need to be in South Africa when my shipment arrives?
Normally yes. Duty-free clearance for used personal effects depends on you being in the country when the shipment lands, so collection dates are usually planned around your flights rather than the other way around.
Will I pay duty on my household goods?
Personal effects you have owned and used normally qualify for duty-free entry, provided you lodge the application before the shipment arrives. New items, goods bought for the move, and anything intended for sale are treated differently.
Which is cheaper, a full container or a part load?
A part load is cheaper for a flat or small home because you pay only for the space you use, but the container ships only when it is full. A full container costs more, is sealed at your door, clears in your name alone, and arrives sooner.
What can I not ship to South Africa?
Check restricted and prohibited items before collection, not at the port. Your Move Manager reviews the list at survey because finding an item at clearance delays the whole consignment, not just that box.
Do you offer storage?
Yes, in the UK, in our own yard and store. That matters when your South African property isn’t ready, because a container cannot sit at a port indefinitely without costing you money.
Can you ship boxes rather than a whole household?
Yes. Part load and groupage exist for exactly that, and you pay by the space your boxes take up rather than by the vehicle.
Moving somewhere else? See all removals to Africa, or browse every destination we cover.