Container Arrival Alerts for Durban & Cape Town
Set up container arrival alerts for Durban and Cape Town so you act before demurrage starts — carrier emails, forwarder…
Read guide →Our guide library covers everything from sourcing products in China and clearing customs with SARS, to finding freight forwarders and negotiating better rates. Each guide is 1,500+ words with ZA-specific advice, regulatory requirements, and realistic cost estimates in Rands.
Container Number vs Bill of Lading vs Booking
Understand the difference between a container number, Bill of Lading, and booking reference — and know exactly which one to…
Read guide →How to Track a Container by Bill of Lading (SA)
Use your Bill of Lading number to find your container's live position, ETA, and status at Durban or Cape Town…
Read guide →Track MSC, Maersk & CMA CGM Containers to Durban
Step-by-step tracking instructions for the three biggest carriers into Durban, plus why Transnet congestion makes their ETAs unreliable for SA…
Read guide →What Is a Shipment ETA & Why It Keeps Changing
ETA, ETD, and ATA explained for South African importers — plus the real reasons your Durban ETA keeps slipping and…
Read guide →Demurrage & Detention in South Africa (2026)
What demurrage, detention and terminal storage actually mean at SA ports, who charges what, how Rand costs escalate, and how…
Read guide →Demurrage vs Detention vs Storage vs Per Diem
Demurrage, detention, storage and per diem explained for SA importers — who charges each, when the clock runs, and how…
Read guide →Durban's Worst-Port Ranking: What It Means
Durban ranked 403rd of 403 in the World Bank CPPI 2024. What the world-worst port ranking means for your imports…
Read guide →How to Avoid Demurrage at the Port of Durban
How to avoid demurrage at the Port of Durban: pre-clear, get docs in early, track the vessel and book transport…
Read guide →TPT Demurrage Free Days: the 3-Day Rule
TPT cut container free days from 3.25 to 3 days at all terminals from 1 April 2025. What the 3-day…
Read guide →Calculate Import VAT & Duties in South Africa
Calculate South African import VAT and duties with worked Rand examples: FOB customs value + 10% uplift + duty =…
Read guide →Cost to Import a Container: China to SA 2026
What it really costs to import a container from China to South Africa in 2026 — freight, duty, VAT, clearing…
Read guide →Customs Clearance Documents for SA Importers
The documents you need to clear customs in South Africa — SAD 500, bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list…
Read guide →Do I Need a Clearing Agent? Costs & Tips
Most SA importers use a clearing agent to submit the SAD 500 and deal with SARS. Here is when you…
Read guide →FCL vs LCL: Which Is Cheaper for SA Imports?
FCL vs LCL cost comparison for South African importers — break-even CBM analysis with a Rand table, when each option…
Read guide →HS Codes & Tariff Classification for SA
How HS codes and tariff classification work for SA importers — why your code drives the duty rate, how to…
Read guide →Import Permits & ITAC: When You Need One
When you need an ITAC import permit in South Africa, what ITAC controls, and how to apply — a plain-English…
Read guide →R150,000 Personal Import Threshold (70707070)
How South Africa's R150,000 personal-import threshold and customs code 70707070 work — who qualifies, the limits, and when you must…
Read guide →Register as an Importer with SARS (DA 185)
Step-by-step guide to getting your SARS importer's code in South Africa — forms DA 185 and DA 185.4A2, submission, and…
Read guide →Advance Import Payment (APN) Explained
Advance Payment Notification (APN) explained: when SA importers need one for advance payments over R50,000, how to get it on…
Read guide →Forward Exchange Contracts (FEC) for Importers
How Forward Exchange Contracts work for South African importers, with a worked rand example of hedging a USD invoice, plus…
Read guide →How Rand Volatility Affects Your Landed Cost
A weaker rand lifts your supplier cost, duty and import VAT at once. See how a single ZAR move changes…
Read guide →How to Pay a Foreign Supplier from South Africa
Step-by-step guide to paying a foreign supplier from South Africa under SARB exchange control — APN, BoP codes, SWIFT/TT, and…
Read guide →Letter of Credit vs TT for SA Importers
Compare Letters of Credit and Telegraphic Transfers for South African importers — costs, risks, when to use each, and how…
Read guide →Trade Finance for SA SMME Importers
Import finance lets you pay suppliers before you have the cash from sales. Here are the options for SA SMME…
Read guide →FOB vs CIF for Durban Imports
FOB vs CIF for Durban imports: control and lower cost vs convenience, and how each affects your SARS FOB customs…
Read guide →How Incoterms Affect Your SARS Customs Value
How your Incoterm changes the costs you add or strip out to reach the SARS FOB customs value — and…
Read guide →Incoterms 2020 for South African Importers
A plain-English breakdown of all 11 Incoterms 2020 terms — who pays freight, insurance and duty — with guidance on…
Read guide →Festive Season Import Planning for SA
Durban congestion peaks Oct to Jan. Plan festive imports backwards from your sell date — order cut-offs, freight lead times…
Read guide →How to Import a Car into South Africa
Importing a car into South Africa: the ITAC permit and NRCS Letter of Authority, duties and 15% VAT, used-import restrictions,…
Read guide →How to Spot a Scam Supplier (China Sourcing)
Spot a scam supplier when sourcing from China: the red flags, how to verify a factory, and how to pay…
Read guide →Source Suppliers on Alibaba: SA Importers
A step-by-step guide to sourcing on Alibaba for SA importers: find and vet suppliers, samples, MOQs, Trade Assurance payment and…
Read guide →More guides
Air vs Sea vs Road Freight: When to Use Each Mode
Freight mode comparison: cost, speed, and weight limits. When to use air freight, sea freight, or road freight for your…
Read guide →Avoiding Demurrage & Detention Charges
What demurrage and detention really mean, how they are charged at SA ports, and a practical playbook to stop them…
Read guide →Bonded Warehousing in South Africa Explained
How customs bonded warehouses work in SA — deferring duty and VAT, licensing under the Customs & Excise Act, and…
Read guide →Customs Refunds & Drawbacks (DA 66 Claims)
How to reclaim overpaid SA customs duty and VAT with a DA 66 refund claim, and how export drawbacks work…
Read guide →Customs Valuation Methods in South Africa
How SARS values imported goods for duty and VAT — the transaction value method and the five fallback methods under…
Read guide →How to Clear Customs with SARS — Step by Step 2026
Complete guide to SARS customs clearance for imports to South Africa. Documents, timeline, costs, HS codes, duty calculation, and how…
Read guide →How to Find and Vet a ZA Freight Forwarder
What to look for in a South African freight forwarder. Questions to ask, red flags, costs, and how to avoid…
Read guide →How to Import from China to South Africa in 2026
Complete step-by-step guide for SA importers: sourcing from China, vetting suppliers, negotiating terms, shipping, customs clearance, and cost breakdown. Updated…
Read guide →How to Import from India to South Africa — 2026 Guide
Import from India to SA: sourcing platforms, supplier vetting, lead times, shipping costs, import permits, and cost breakdown. Everything you…
Read guide →How to Import from the UAE to South Africa — 2026
Import via Dubai: how to source through UAE re-export hubs, Jebel Ali Free Zone, and when UAE re-exports beat direct…
Read guide →How to Read a Bill of Lading — South Africa
Understand every field on your Bill of Lading. Spot errors before clearance, understand your rights as cargo owner, and learn…
Read guide →How to Register as an Importer with SARS
SARS importer registration steps, required documents, timeline, and how to stay compliant with customs regulations.
Read guide →How to Start a Delivery Company in South Africa
Start a last-mile delivery business in SA: fleet, licensing, insurance, routes, and profitability analysis.
Read guide →How to Start a Shipping Company in South Africa
Start a shipping/freight forwarder business in SA: licenses, certifications, capital, regulations, and market opportunity.
Read guide →How to Use AfCFTA for Intra-Africa Trade
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) explained: duty reductions, rules of origin, certificates, and how to claim savings on imports…
Read guide →Import Licenses & Permits by Product Category
Which SA import permits you need: food, pharma, chemicals, textiles. How to get them and timelines.
Read guide →Import VAT Deferment & Cash-Flow Management
How import VAT and duty hit your cash flow, how a SARS deferment account works, and the levers SA importers…
Read guide →Incoterms Explained for South African Importers
Understand FOB, CIF, DDP, and other Incoterms. Learn who pays freight, insurance, duty, and who takes risk when goods are…
Read guide →LCL vs FCL Container Economics for Importers
When to ship LCL (part-load) versus a full container to South Africa — the break-even volume, hidden LCL costs, and…
Read guide →Marine Cargo Insurance Claims Process (SA)
How to claim on marine cargo insurance for SA imports — cover types, the steps after damage or loss, documents…
Read guide →Negotiating Better Freight Rates: Tactics for Importers
How to negotiate lower shipping costs with forwarders and carriers. Tactics, timing, and leverage points.
Read guide →SARS RLA Importer Registration Walkthrough
A step-by-step walkthrough of registering as an importer through SARS RLA, getting your customs client code, and the documents you…
Read guide →Tariff Classification & SARS Tariff Determinations
How to classify goods under the SA tariff, apply the General Rules of Interpretation, and use SARS tariff determinations to…
Read guide →Understanding HS Codes: How to Find & Use Them
HS Code lookup guide: how to classify your product, navigate SARS Tariff Book, and avoid costly duty errors.
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