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 home before returning yourself. 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
There is a company in the UK which specialises in obtaining permits for people trying to ship their vehicles to South Africa, they will also be 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.
Please visit their web site to find out more: Car Shipping To South Africa
We have had numerous phone calls in the past from people who have gone it alone and ended up with their vehicle being detained due to incorrect paperwork. It costs R650 per day storage for detained vehicles and if you have one thing wrong with your paperwork this can lead to a 3 week delay. For this reason we strongly advise you visit the above web site and seek their help before you attempt to ship your vehicle with us.