Importing cars to South Africa

IMPORTING CARS TO SOUTH AFRICA

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.

You can apply for duty free if you have dual citizenship (UK/EU and SA passport) and that you have owned your vehicle for longer than 12 months.
Having dual citizenship does not mean you automatically qualify for duty free importation to South Africa, it means you can apply for it. You will need to prove to customs that you are returning to South Africa. permanently i.e. closure of bank accounts, sale of a house, resignation letters or Inland Rev confirmation.
You need to apply in person at a customs office with all the permits and documents at least 10 days before your car arrives in South Africa.
Indefinite leave to remain does not qualify you for duty free importation to South Africa.
You still must hold a passport for an EU/UK country.
If you only have a South African passport you will not qualify for duty free importation to South Africa.
Regardless of your circumstances you need to have owned the car for a minimum of 6 months to obtain an import permit if you are a South African citizen. It will take between 10 – 20 working days to obtain the permits
Savannah Freight Services-UK can support you in obtaining permits to ship your vehicles to South Africa, we are also able to arrange all of the documents to be sent to the clearing agent in South Africa. and for your car to be cleared through customs.
Please note that you have to use a registered clearing agent in South Africa, there is no other way around it.

We recommend that you contact us be before committing to buying a car .

30 Comments to Importing cars to South Africa:

Comments RSS

Tahoe for sale on 22 October 2011 06:10

Thanks, useful information. Is the value of the vehicle based on the market value in the UK or the market value in South Africa? With the second hand car market in the UK being very weak or weaker than South Africa, this value differs considerably, even if one converts the UK market value in rands.

Reply to comment


	Godfrey on 23 October 2011 20:35 Thanks very much for your post. The value of the car is based on what the South African Customs determines. When you submit your original copy of the purchase receipt, the Customs Assessor will consider the information in line with the South African government's car price index. There are not able to determine the price solely based on your receipt. The best solution will be for you to contact us at Savannah Freight Services-UK prior to purchasing the car. We have experience and contacts to assist you in determining the possible price to be used. Our information is usually not far from what you will be charged at the port of entry. Please give us a call on 442070960264 if you need any more information.

thabang moikangoe on 22 October 2011 12:21

Hi, I am currently in south africa and would like to know if is it possible to buy a car in the uk over the internet and ship it to south africa without owning it 6 months. I'm a south african citizen

Reply to comment

Godfrey on 23 October 2011 20:49

Thank you Thabang. Please refer to point number 7 on this article. The point states that: 'Regardless of your circumstances you need to have owned the car for a minimum of 6 months to obtain an import permit if you are a South African citizen. It will take between 10 – 20 working days to obtain the permits' This rule applies to people who want to import the car into South Africa using the rebate rule. If you want to import a car while you are in South Africa and you are willing to pay the duty, you are not subject to this regulation. You will need to process the importation of the car after you obtain a valid import permit and letter of Authority. This can be done for you by our South African desk; dedicated team at Savannah Freight Services-UK. Please contact us on 442070960264. or email your request to: info@savannahfreight.com


	Yumna Haffajee on 28 August 2012 08:59 Hello Godfrey Please clarify. I have quoted what you said above. My understanding is if i am willing to pay the 65% tax i can import the car is this correct? Are you saying that point number 7 only applies to people who want to use the rebate rule? Please advise. Thanks Thank you Thabang. Please refer to point number 7 on this article. The point states that: 'Regardless of your circumstances you need to have owned the car for a minimum of 6 months to obtain an import permit if you are a South African citizen. It will take between 10 – 20 working days to obtain the permits' This rule applies to people who want to import the car into South Africa using the rebate rule. If you want to import a car while you are in South Africa and you are willing to pay the duty, you are not subject to this regulation. You will need to process the importation of the car after you obtain a valid import permit and letter of Authority.

Used cars on 25 November 2011 12:34

Nice post..Thanks for sharing this post...

Reply to comment

graeme houghton on 03 January 2012 13:21

im looking at moving back home to south africa i have an eu passport i am south african. i have a range rover that would like to take back with me can u please help


	Godfrey Mushandu on 03 July 2012 23:12 If you meet the criteria stated in this article then you qualify for importing a car into South Africa.

martin mutara on 12 January 2012 01:07

I am buying a 2003 mercedes benz e240 for 4000 euro here in ireland, would like to ship it to south africa around september october and would like to find out all the clearing costs that will be involved. Kind regards Martin Mutara 353 871 457 567

Reply to comment

diana on 24 January 2012 16:56

My sister wants to buy and send me a car from UK. Is it possible and how much duty will I pay

Reply to comment

Anwar Kalam on 13 February 2012 14:27

I am operating a small funeral business and want to buy a used Hearse in the UK over the internet and ship it to Cape Town South Africa. I want to know what I'm in for regarding Customs Duties and clearing costs etc. Kind Regards Anwar Kalam


	Godfrey Mushandu on 03 July 2012 23:16 Anwar Kalam; Thanks for your question. Before you import your funeral Hearse; you need to know whether you will be allowed to bring it into South Africa.A letter of Authority and import permits are needed prior to even buying the car. Thanks

online writing jobs on 03 March 2012 14:34

I wonder, are there any countries that refuse to import cars to South Africa? Do you have any information on this?

Reply to comment

cameron on 29 May 2012 07:46

Hi there, please could someone advise me on importing a car from Zimbabwe as we have been given this car as a gift and would like to bring it over the border. It is a 1981 golf that is only worth about R15 000. The only thing is it is in UK plates and not in zim plates. My wife is originally Zimbabwean and has been a south African citizen for about 10 years. please let me know the process of bringing it to South Africa and licencing it here. Approx costs etc would help. Thanks


	Godfrey Mushandu on 03 July 2012 23:25 Thanks Cameron, this is a frequently asked question. Let me attempt to reply it again, for the benefit of everyone: (1) Before getting into expenses, you first need to see if you qualify to import a car into south Africa as started here:>>>>>> Having dual citizenship does not mean you automatically qualify for duty free importation to South Africa, it means you can apply for it. You will need to prove to customs that you are returning to South Africa. permanently i.e. closure of bank accounts, sale of a house, resignation letters or Inland Revenue confirmation.<<<<< When you see that you qualify then, you can start the process of looking for how to ship it. Thanks

Mlu on 08 July 2012 07:28

This info is so helping, I am currently SUDAN, but i want to buy and ship a car from UK to SA. 2007 Golf 5 and it cost 7.989 British pounds. Can you get back to me with details on where to start Applying to permits and so on?.


	Godfrey Mushandu on 09 July 2012 01:59 Thank you for contacting us Mlu. Before you consider to spend your £7000 on a car, please make sure you qualify to import a car into South Africa according to the conditions stated in this article.If you do not fit in any of those categories of people allowed to import cars, the chances are that you will not get the import permit and letter of Authority. If you are unsure, please send us your phone number by email-(NOT ON THE BLOG) so that one of our Advisers will contact and discuss with you. Thanks Godfrey

Godfrey Mushandu on 09 July 2012 01:55

Thank you for contacting us Mlu. Before you consider to spend your £7000 on a car, please make sure you qualify to import a car into South Africa according to the conditions stated in this article.If you do not fit in any of those categories of people allowed to import cars, the chances are that you will not get the import permit and letter of Authority. If you are unsure, please send us your phone number by email-(NOT ON THE BLOG) so that one of our Advisers will contact and discuss with you. Thanks Godfrey

Reply to comment

Paul on 12 July 2012 11:59

Hi, I'm from South Africa and I want to import a Ford Mustang from the USA. The price in Dollars is $42,000. I would just like to know what it would cost to import it. Or can I maybe let Ford SA import it for me?

Reply to comment

evelyn nthoiwa on 25 July 2012 16:57

I m in Botswana ( a motswana) i want to know if it is possible to buy a car in uk and ship it to Botswana please give me the whole process and garages to contact if possible


	Godfrey Mushandu (Savannah Freight Services) on 31 July 2012 11:41 It is possible to buy cars from UK to Botswana. The process we use at Savannah Freight may be different from other companies or individuals. Our process is outline here on our website:http://www.savannahfreight.com/Vehicle----Mining-Spares.html. Other people prefer to have their friends and trusted relatives who leave in UK to buy cars for them.They then contact a shipping company to ship the car to their destination. Others prefer to buy directly from Dealers or individuals then appoint a shipping company. At Savannah Freight Services we always recommend that you take the best option that suits you. You can buy cars from www.autotrader.co.uk; www.gumtree.co.uk; www.ebay and other independent dealers. We just advise you that you or someone else must see the car before buying it. What you seen on the picture may not necessarily reflect the actual condition of the car.

damjee on 13 August 2012 09:56

Hi I want to start buying cars from the uk .I'm based in south africa nd want to sell them to african countries can u help me thankx

Reply to comment

ebrahiim on 28 August 2012 20:33

i want to buy a 4x4 from a uk dealer... what route should i follow? i am only a SA citizen

Reply to comment

Bianca on 04 September 2012 12:28

Hi thank you for such an informative site! I would like to know which option you would recommend for me. I want to buy a car in the UK. I am a Zimbabwean but I stay in South Africa. Is it easier for me to ship the car via Walvis Bay or South Africa. And also which sites would you recommend I can browse through which sell cars?

Reply to comment

Ruthy on 04 September 2012 23:44

Hi. Just a word of warning about importing cars! I'm Irish and I imported my 3 year old car from UK to SA last August when i emigrated to Cape Town. Was charged R55,000 on duty by SARS, and will only get it back when I get my permanent residency. Car was worth about £10,000 in UK. Worth about R180,000 in SA. Currently have temporary permit which I have to keep renewing. Bit of a pain, but it's ok. You just have to remember to do it. Home Affairs inform me that I must be married for five years before I can get permanent residency, so I have to wait four years from now approx. to get my money back. Unless i have a baby, and then that sorts that one out! But at 46...ummmm! My immigration lawyer told me that there is no way around this. This also means that I can't sell it until I get my perm res. (Luckily I don't want to). I also can't license it or insure it here. In retrospect, I'm glad I brought it here, but there is a lot of paperwork and you need a really good clearing agent in SA. Also, when my car got to CT I was on honeymoon and they charged me money for every day they had to hold it in storage. So, clear it as soon as you can. I ended up paying about R3000. These are silly little things no one tells you about or you don't think about..... I am now wondering.......! My husband is an SA citizen and would like to buy and import a car for his business here. Can he do it since I have already done it? Or are we only allowed to import one car per family? I have an EU and British passport. He has an SA passport. Thanks, Ruthy.

Reply to comment

Zacharias Esterhuizen on 20 September 2012 02:39

Goodday, Please advice me what I need I have got a Jaguar XK8 model 1999 left hand drive inQatar and I want to import it to South Africa is it allowed for left hand drive and what will be the costs for doing it.

Reply to comment

Faye on 20 September 2012 13:47

I brought in a Ferrari from UK September 2011. I need to sell it because I need the money. I won't make any profit on car. What are the consequences given I haven't owned it for 2 years?

Reply to comment

cheslyn on 26 September 2012 12:01

hi im a south africa citizen.i want to buy a car in england for about £4275 .i do not have a permit i would just like to know what are the procedures and cost in total incl. Shipping and VAT...thanx so much

Reply to comment

collen reddy on 01 October 2012 14:51

please can you advsie as i never travelled abroad but want to buy a car from the uk . i am purely south african

Reply to comment

khan on 06 October 2012 16:15

l want to import a trucks from dubai to south africa and want to a transport business there, so can u help me to send me all the paper requirmen how old truks ; can import in south africa? can l port a left handed truck? l will be thanfull to u if u send me the full detail of that.

Add a Comment

Your Name:		Email Address: (Required)
Website:
Comment:
Make your text bigger, bold, italic and more with HTML tags. We'll show you how.

Recent Posts

Categories