There is a bit of confusion as to his issue that we reported on 09-January 2013. 

Today, 23-01-13, We at Savannah Freight Services Ltd-UK contacted Namibian Port Authority to get clarification on the issue.

We are delighted to let all our valued readers that we have been given guidance on what is required and should anyone be intending to send personal effects in a vehicle, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE. To make it clear, personal effects include items like: Televisions, Clothes, Food, electrical goods, household furniture and related items.

We have however worked a way round this in order to be allowed to load other items that are not personal effects. You can load cars, mining compressors, tyres and other business related items.Provided your Freight Forwarder complies with other requirements that have been set by the Namibian Port Authority.

Please contact our office for proper guidance before you invest your hard earned cash and regret if your cargo reaches Walvis Bay without proper preparations.

We are able now to ship your cargo, provided it complies with the requirements that we will only be advising to those intending to ship at the moment.

We hope this will clarify some of the grey areas and we are always here to assist you.

Namibia Port Authority has issued a memo notifying all Shippers and Agents that with effect from 01 February 2013 

all vehicles destined to any Namibian Port on Roll on Roll Off  (ro/ro) will not be accepted into the country if they are carrying any goods inside.

It has been the practice that when people send  cars from overseas to Walvis Bay; in order to maximise on space; people would load some extra goods inside the cars. This has been going on for sometime, and it has been smooth for sometime.

For loading goods in the car; there has been a surcharge that some Agents were charging.However, in a memo dated 03-01-13, Mr Raymond Visagie of the Executive: Risk Management section of Namibia Port Authority (NAMPORT) stated that.....'Shippers and Agents of ro/ro are advised that  Namibia Ports will not accept  vehicles stuffed with goods of whatever nature effective from 01-February 2013'

This ban has been introduced to curb a lot of problems associated with goods being in the cars. As most people who have sent goods insides may witness; sometimes goods disappear or they are stolen. As there is no one really accountable for goods in transit inside the cars; this creates a opportunity for some scrupulous people to help themselves. This creates an administrative headache at the Port.

As a Freight Forwarder;  we; at Savannah Freight Services,  understand the need to send extra goods in the car. However, due to the nature of the shipping process between Port of Loading,e.g Sheerness or Immingham in UK   and Walvis Bay; it is almost impossible to assure our customers that once goods are left in the car while in transit, they will be secure. While in transit in the vessel, it is most unlikely that the goods will be tempered with; although there is no guarantee that it is so. On arrival at the Port of Discharge- e.g. Walvis Bay; the vehicles are off loaded and handed over to the Local Authority; who will then facilitate the process of clearance in coordination with Agents and other stakeholders and departments. At this stage; no one can assume responsibility for goods stowed in the vehicles. There is a chance that goods may miss, but I want to make this clear, I am not accusing anyone at the port of discharge. Once clearance is completed and the vehicles are handed to their owners, it is at this stage that most people become aware that their goods are missing. 

It is very difficult to actually pinpoint at which stage goods go missing. After goods miss, it becomes the duty of the Agent to explain to the customers. But from experience, no explanation can ever be given that can fully identify the stage of loss. With this in mind we always feel that it is better for our customers not to put any goods inside the cars.

Most insurance companies do not cover the loss of such goods while in transit. 

Stakeholders are in discussion with the Namibian Port Authority to find an amicable way forward that will benefit everyone. However, in the meantime:-

Mr  Raymond Visagie; explained that ....' all household goods; personal effects and used goods shall be packed separately, sealed and clearly marked on an inventory list and shall not be shipped as consolidated shipments with import vehicles.

Therefore, until a solution is found to this issue or until Namport reverses its decision; we strongly advise all our valued customers not to load any goods in their cars.

Namport has warned that any violation will result in goods being confiscated and heavy penalties imposed. So be warned.

Should you have any questions please fell free to contact us at Savannah Freight Services. We are here to make sure your transactions are as smooth as possible.

 

I have had numerous enquiries from our valued customers who want to understand what a bill of lading is; without getting too technical? I will try to simplify the explanation for the benefit of those who just want to know.

What is Bill of lading?

 The term bill of lading   is derived from the combination of words “bill,” in the sense of a bill 

for transporting goods, and "lade", the verb meaning “to load,” specifically, a cargo for shipping.

Bill of Lading (sometimes abbreviated as B/L or BOL) is a type of document that is used to acknowledge the receipt of a shipment of goods and gives title of that shipment to a specified  party. A transportation company or carrier 

typically issues this document to a shipper.  

For example, if you (The shipper) ship a car through a freight forwarder like Savannah Freight Services-Ltd, Savannah Freight Services will forward your car to the shipping company. The shipping company will then transport your car (cargo), the shipping company will then issue a bill of lading with the details below.

In addition to acknowledging the receipt of goods, the document gives the following details:

Most shipping companies will not take responsibility for any goods loaded in a vehicle. Most bills of lading have this disclaimer:

BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF A TYPICAL BILL OF LADING.

Please feel free to contact us if you need any information on processing your Bill of Lading.

Bill of Lading is usually produced by the shipping company after departure of the cargo. Shipping companies usually produce a draft bill of lading as soon as the vessel departs. The Draft Bill of Lading is usually sent to the Freight Forwarder for verification of details and correction before the original bill of lading is despatched. Most common error on vehicle bill of lading is the vehicle chassis number and destination of vehicle. If these errors are noted early, the freight forwarder will communicate with the shipping company for correction. 

In most cases; if the shipper chooses to receive the original bill of lading; the original bill of lading will be sent to the shipper ( owner of goods) before the goods arrive at port of discharge. If the shipper chooses not to receive the original bill of lading, a telex release will be done at the port of destination. It is not possible to have both a telex release and original bill of lading on the same cargo. 

Sometimes delays occur if paperwork is not processed on time or if payment is not received on time. There are times when the freight forwarder and the shipper have done everything correctly, but still there are delays with telex release and issuing an original bill of lading. If this happens, it is always best to keep all parties informed.

With effect from 11th June; 2012, original vehicle registration books (LOGBOOKS) commonly referred to as V5 in United Kingdom will be required as part of the customs clearance in Namibia.

This was announced on the 1st of June, 2012 by   Namibia's Ministry of Finance- Customs and Excise's Deputy Director General- Western Region YHM HAIHAMBO.

According to the Customs and Excise department in Namibia, wrong year and models are being declared on the SAD 500 . This gives raise to possible undervaluation of cars. If cars are undervalued, there will be a need to revalue the car. However, this process is not as simply as it appears. It means all documentation has to be resubmitted. This is time consuming and it ties up resources. When such delays are experienced, most customers suffer as the correction process my take anything between 24-72hrs. During this re-evaluation of the SAD 500, there may be possibilities of vehicle owners incurring costs due to extended stay in Walvis. Usually after 72hrs, Namibian Port Authority starts to charge storage fees. It is therefore important to get this part of vehicle clearance right so that there are no inconveniences.

We get a lot of questions regarding importing cars into South Africa. Below is a summary of the requirements and procedure to follow BEFORE YOU BUY A CAR TO SHIP TO SOUTH AFRICA.

You will need an Import Permit (IP) and  a Letter of Authority (LOA) from South Africa, before you can import a car.

1) IMPORT PERMIT APPLICATION
 Import authorisation will be considered ONLY:

www.nrcs.org.za

 
 We are able to facilitate all this for you should you need us to do so. 

Thank you

Returning South African residents ( those with permanent or temporary residents permit) are allowed to bring with them household affects and personal goods (excluding alcoholic beverages and Tobacco products).These goods can be brought into South Africa free of charge; without paying import duties or VAT . The returning resident must prove to the State that he/she has been out of South Africa for at least six months for purposes other than touring or studying.

The state requires a returning South African resident to provide an inventory list of household goods  or personal effects at the time of importing the goods. As a South African Returning resident, you will be required to prove your residence status at the time of clearing the goods. These goods ( excluding motor vehicles, ammunition and weapons); do not require an Import Permit

Temporary South African  permit holders and immigrants into South Africa; such as contract workers and students may import their personal effects and household goods free of duty and VAT (However, they may be subject to making a provisional payment to secure the VAT in part or in full). The requirement will be that they re-export their goods when they leave South Africa. The imported goods can be disposed of locally in South Africa; provided they said goods have not be sold, hired out or lent in any manner within the six months of importation.

Customs clearance forms DA 304 and  P1.160 must be completed for your personal goods and household effects.The completion of these forms is usually done by your freight forwarding agent or your clearing agent.

Motor vehicles used in South Africa by tourists may be imported under rebate of duty and exempt from VAT for a period of three months; this may be extended to six months (however, it may be subject to a provisional payment being made to Customs to secure the VAT on importation either in part or in full). After a period of six months the motor vehicles must be re-exported.

If you have any questions. please contact our customer services department on 00442070960264 or email us using the link below:

Email: Savannah Freight Customers services: 

   

It is one thing to shipping cars to Zimbabwe,via Namibia. It is the most popular route at the moment. Popularity of Walvis Bay to Plumtree route is its relatively cheaper cost, depending how you look at it. 

However, there is a myth  that using a particular Border post will have an effect on the actual duty paid. There is nothing further away from the truth than this.Customs Duty payment  for importing cars into Zimbabwe is the same. Payment and processing of duty by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is the same. What most people seem to be misled about is the process of clearing cars at Plumtree Border Post in Zimbabwe. Below is a list of what is needed.

Documentation required to import a car into Zimbabwe:
The following documents are required to be produced on importation:-

Once you have this information and documents, you are ready clear your car. Clearing can be done in person or through

a Freight Agent. The choice is yours. If you choose to do it yourself, please be aware that you must have plenty of time, as Plumtree Border post staff are not some of the fastest in processing car clearance. Average waiting time at Plumtree ranges from one day to 4 days. Some of the delays are really caused by people not bringing correct paperwork. Please be advised that money (bribery) will not cause your car to be processed any faster. The fastest way to clear your car is to appoint an agent who knows the ropes of the trade at Plumtree Border post.

Below is the Clearing that we have constantly used without any problems: Our Authorised  Clearing Agent in Plumtree is:

We advise that you must be aware of briefcase companies plying Plumtree Border Post. They will bombard you with misleading information that leads you to believe that the car clearance process is impossible to do. No, No No!!!. Just be careful not to be a statistic of these conman. Use tried and tested agents. If you have any questions, please contact our customer services department which is always there to help you at NO COST.

Walvis Bay has become a popular  clearing port  for cars that destined for Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. Clearing cars at Walvis Bay in Namibia has become preferred to Durban in South Africa  and Beira in Mozambique.

Clearing cars at Walvis Bay has become a straight forward experience ever since Savannah Freight Services-UK set up offices and contacts in Walvis Bay.

Once you send your car with Savannah Freight Services; your peace of mind begins there. We will be with you throughout the process: Below is a summary of the process we will do for you or with you:

The above process is a long and sometimes frustrating. It is not as straight forward as it is written here.  Savannah Freight Services therefore advises all its customers to cooperate in completing the SFS V1 set well on time and making sure that at least 7 days before the vessel arrives in Walvis Bay; all the the above processes that do not require the presence of the car are done.

Once your car arrives at Walvis Bay, its not a matter of you going to get your car keys.There are further processes that we will do before you come to collect your car. Behind the scenes our dedicated staff will be going through all the necessary customs paper processing. After what seems like eternity to the car owners, but in reality is the actual speed of how the process goes; the car keys are handed over to the own. The procedures of car search, chassis No verification;police clearance and Road Authority clearance (Commonly know as clean paper) are done. Eventually you get your car keys and you will be ready to depart.

Often some people get a few nasty experiences. These experience are sometimes expensive. So with a good Freight Forwarder; these costly experiences may be avoided. Please never put a cost to this advise as not complying will be even more costly:

KEEP VISITING THIS SITE FOR MORE ARTICLES OF FREIGHT SHIPPING TO AFRICA

 

Goods imported into Swaziland may be cleared under one of the following customs procedures within seven (7) days of the date on which they are deemed to have been imported:

  For customs clearance purposes, the importer should submit a customs declaration document, supporting documents (invoice, transport document, certificate of origin, permits and any other document that may be required for verification purposes). Clearance for warehousing, transit/in bond or temporary admission requires a security that will cover the duties and taxes suspended.

 Exportation Goods exported from Swaziland may be exported under one of the following customs procedures:

Swaziland complies with the ASYCDA system and the codes required on the import/export documents are listed below:

Customs (ASYCUDA) Codes
It is of the utmost importance to capture the correct codes when declaring imports or exports. capturing the wrong codes results in inaccurate customs data and may lead to delays for an importer/exporter. 

Below are the codes used by the ASYCUDA++ system.

These tell you what you are dealing with, whether it's export or import; for consumption or temporary.

EX1 Permanent Export

EX2 Temporary Export

EX3 Re-export

EX8 Export Transit

IM4 Entry for home use

IM5 Temporary importation

IM6 Re-importationIM7Entry for warehousing

IM8 Transit declarationIM9Other customs procedure

FE4 Passenger Declaration (Form E)

EXC9 Excise-Domestic and SACU Products

For more information on import and export in Swaziland, please contact our customer services team on 442070960264

or email us or use our contact us form.

Now that the dust has settled. It has now been clarified that the intended ban is no more. From the beginning the idea was not well thought. How on earth were the powers in Zimbabwe ever thinking of banning cars less than 5 years? How many of us in UK are driving cars that are less than five years? It was absurd to say the least. 
Now that the dust has settled, what next? Banning left hand drive cars in Zimbabwe is a good idea but statistically how many are there to warrant the effort they are putting to ban them? Our LEADERS should be debating on how to improve the economy and creating jobs and an investment friendly environment. They should just put a levy on any left hand drive cars. They also should leave the market forces to determine whether it is worth having a left hand drive car or not. For instance, insurance companies are known to charge a bit more for cars which are left handed. 
The way forward is now to ship cars to Zimbabwe using professional, honest and committed companies. This is where Savannah Freight Services-UK get in. We are a shipping company that is dedicated to serving Zimbabwe. If you want peace of mind with your cargo and car shipping to Zimbabwe, please phone our dedicated team on 442070960264 or visit our website.

Thanks

Savannah Freight Services-UK
 

Write your post here.

Its an ever changing scenario. Please read the link below for the latest position on banning car imports into Zimbabwe. If this article is to be believed, then THAT IS THE END of the story. Cars below 5 years will be effectively banned from entering Zimbabwe, from October 31, 2011.

The situation may change but as you know, there is never a straight way of do the obvious thinks in Zimbabwe.

Keep checking and we will be updating you. If you have any questions about shipping cars to Zimbabwe, please phone us on 442070960264.

  We have a growing presence in the Botswana market, and we are planning to get even bigger. Please keep an eye open for our adverts which will be appearing in local newspapers and radios very soon. UK has been known to produced good quality cars. UK is now increasingly becoming a favoured source of highly sort after cars.

At Savannah Freight Services we can provide you with just about any vehicle of your choice. Importing into Botswana is very easy and there are currently no major restrictions. Please visit our website here for more information. 

 Recommended ports

 

Currently the most popular port for delivering cars to Botswana, because of clear and straight forward clearing procedures. Walvis Bay is also a destination of choice due to outstanding security for your vehicles and its contents. It is also a port of choice as cars can be driven from Namibia to Botswana. It takes 2-3 weeks for our vessels to deliver cars from UK to Namibia -Walvis Bay. We have Vessels that leave UK for Botswana every 2 weeks.

2)  Durban is also an optional port for Botswana. There are at least 2 car carrier ships leaving every month for Durban, and it takes 3 to 4 weeks to get there from UK. 

 Clearance and delivery from the destination port Durban 

It isn't possible to drive imported vehicles on South African roads; so your Customs Clearance Agent will deliver your vehicle up to Botswana for you. 

 Inspections and local regulations 

 There are no specific regulations regarding UK vehicles, however be sure to check with your local authorities before making a purchase.

 Why buy direct from UK using Savannah Freight Services? 

 Batswana are increasingly choosing to buy directly from UK because quite simply you will be getting a better quality vehicle, with a lower mileage at a cheaper price. Vehicles from UK often have the highest grade options fitted as standard. We estimate that when you add everything up you will be saving at least $1000 compared with a similar quality vehicle bought locally. Please visit Our Gallery here for Vehicles that we are shipping to Botswana.

Its simple; just contact us at Savannah Freight Services-UK or phone us directly on +442070960264 for a quick professional service.

The Prices of used cars in South Africa are ridiculous! Even when you include the cost of shipping and duties, you will still save thousands if you buy a car in the UK and ship it to South Africa. The quality of second-hand cars in the UK is also far better than South Africa thanks to the strict yearly MOT checks in the UK. Unfortunately the process of car shipping to South Africa is complex and tricky; luckily we are the UK’s most experienced company in shipping vehicles to South Africa. Using our experience and expertise, we can offer you a service so that all you will have to do is drop your car off at a UK port and pick it up in South Africa hassle free, we also provide the most competitive prices on the market.

 Customs Duty in South Africa 

 Duties are approximately 65% of the UK value payable to the clearing agent in South Africa. 

.

 Most Zimbabweans returning from abroad do not always have the appropriate information about their entitlement as far as customs rebates are concerned.

Here at Savannah Freight Services-UK we will give you information that will hopefully help you in preparing all the documents needed and also to see if you are eligible for benefits of customs rebates in Zimbabwe.

We will support you in delivering your goods to Zimbabwe as a returning resident. We ship cars to Zimbabwe. Shipping goods to Zimbabwe by sea is our speciality.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GIVE PARTICULAR VEHICLE SHIPPING COST PRICE THROUGH THE BLOG. USE OUR CONTACT FORM OR OUR QUOTE REQUEST FORM ON OUR WEBSITE 

Importation of motor vehicles into Zimbabwe is very straight forward. However; information on how to do this is not always easily available. Here at Savannah Freight Services-UK we will provide you with the required information. We are a UK based freight Forwarding company that is dedicated to serving the needs of Zimbabwe. Shipping cars to Zimbabwe is our business. Shipping trucks to Zimbabwe is what we know best.

The following documents are required to be produced on importation:-

The valuation of motor vehicle as with the other goods is in accordance to Part X of the Customs and Excise Act [Chapter 23.02]. ZIMRA reserves the right to accept declared values or in some cases, reject the declared values when the declared values do not reflect a bona-fide open market value. This is usually the case with used motor vehicles when ZIMRA will assess the values of the imported cars. The assessment of values is in accordance with Section 112 of the Customs and Excise Act.(NB: The valuation of goods including motor vehicles is in accordance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Valuation Agreement).In valuing used motor vehicles, ZIMRA shall consider, but is not limited to the following;

•  The open market value of similar or identical vehicles sold on the same market at the same commercial level to unrelated parties

•  The values already accepted for similar/identical vehicles

•  The current condition of the vehicle being imported.In determining the value of the imported vehicles, ZIMRA will use any and all information at its disposal.Vehicles that are acquired by other means other than purchase (such as gifts) are also subject to valuation in order to determine their values.The valuation process undertaken by ZIMRA is intended to ensure that there is no under- or over-valuation of goods.  If a client is not satisfied with the value established through this valuation process, he/she may appeal and seek for a value ruling through the office of the Station Manager or the respective Regional Manager.

The value to be used as a basis for the calculation of duty and tax shall include all charges and expenses incurred and incidental to the purchase of the vehicle and its transportation up to the place of importation. 

The table below is a guide of the duty generally charged at the  Port of Entry. It is derived from the legislation. Please note that the information provided here is for guidance only and MUST NOT be used as a substitute to the Zimbabwe Government's official publication. You must contact a professional freight forwarder or ZIMRA officials  at any Port of Entry in Zimbabwe for latest and accurate information.

Description	Tariff Heading/Chapter	Customs Duty	VAT	Surtax
All double Cabs	8704	40%	15%	0%
Single Cabs up to 500kg	8704	25%	15%	0%
Single Cabs 800kg-1400kg	8704	20%	15%	0%
Mini-buses and buses (excluding panel vans and modified panel vans)	87021011 /  87029011 Carrying capacity at least 26 passengers	0%	15%	0%
Mini-buses and buses (excluding panel vans and modified panel vans)	87021019 /  87029019/20  passengers but less than 25 passengers	25%	15%	0%
Mini-buses and buses (excluding panel vans and modified panel vans)	87021090 / 87029090	40%	15%	0%
Vehicles with petrol or diesel engine lessthan 1500cc	87032190/ 87032290/87033190	25%	15%	Nil if less than five years old
Vehicles with petrol or diesel engine lessthan 1500cc	87032190/ 87032290/87033190	25%	15%	25%  if more than 5 years old
Vehicles with petrol or diesel engine greater than 1500cc	87032319/ 87032399 87032490/ 87033219 87033299/87033390	40%	15%	25%  if more than 5 years old
Other not elsewhere specified passenger carrying vehicles	87039090	40%	15%	Nil if less than 5 years old
Other not elsewhere specified passenger carrying vehicles	87039090	40%	15%	25%  if more than 5 years old
Light Lorries (e.g. T35) Over five tonnes but less than 20 tonnes	87042290 87043290/87049090	10%	15%	0%

Please Note: 25 % Surtax is charged on passenger motor vehicles of heading 8703 only if they are more than five years old.

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION PLEASE PHONE US ON 02070960264

This is that time of the year when people are making last minute frantic efforts to ship their cars to Zimbabwe. With t

he deadline of October 31, 2011 fast approaching, most people are not really clear with what is happening in Zimbabwe.

Sending  vehicles to Zimbabwe has become a bit complicated as most customers do not know what to do. Let me clarify

a bit. 

Shipping to Zimbabwe will become difficulty for people after 31 oCTOBER, 2011.The Government of Zimbabwe through  its TRANSPORT Minister Nicholas Goche, on 1 July 2011; announced an extension on the proposed ban of second hand cars into Zimbabwe.The original deadline was announced in September 2010. The idea was to ban the importation of second hand cars that are more than 5 years. The ban was originally set to be 31 March 2011. It was then extended to 31May 2011. But as consultations are still underway, the minister of Transport extended the deadline by a further 3 months to 31 October 2011. Mr Goche was quoted on 1st July;2011 saying:"I want to advise all concerned that no one will be barred from importing vehicles which are more than five-years-old until the consultative process is completed,”He went of further to say:"Therefore, the effective date restricting the importation of second-hand vehicles into the country remains October 31, by which date the consultative process would have been completed to which my office will give further direction.”