Shipping to South Africa is a complex task as there are strict regulations regarding the import of cars into the country. However, information about the applicable laws and the shipping process can make the process hassle-free for you. Read on for a detailed guide on car shipping to Cape Town, South Africa.
Car Shipping to Cape Town: An Introduction
Car shipping to Cape Town can become a hassle if you do not have the correct information before booking your shipment. The South African capital has some specific import laws that you need to comply with before shipping the car to the city. Although Cape Town is a beautiful place to enjoy your vacations, you must be aware of the weather before shipping cars to the city. Summers are really a test for people moving from colder regions and you should be mentally prepared for facing them. Moreover, you should decide the destination port in South Africa to avoid any convenience after the car reaches the country.
Available methods for car shipping to Cape Town
There are primarily two methods that you can use for car shipping to Cape Town. The first and the most economical option is RoRo shipping. The second and relatively costly option is container shipping. We have explained both the options below so that you can make a well-informed decision.
RoRo Shipping
RoRo (Roll-on, Roll-off) shipping is the most economical method for car shipping to Cape Town. In this shipping method, your car is driven onto a vessel and then tied to the deck. When the vessel reaches the destination port, your car is unloaded by driving it off the ship. Therefore, for this shipping method, your car has to be functional. An advantage of this shipping method is that you can ship cars of any size since space is not a constraint in this shipping method. Moreover, there is little chance that your shipments will get delayed as these vessels follow a strict schedule like that of an airline.
If you go with this RORO method, then you must follow the following guidelines for a smooth shipping experience:
- The car must be functional so that it can be driven in and out of the ship.
- The bakes of the car must be properly working.
- You should not leave any expensive items in your car. Otherwise, the shipping company will not be responsible for your loss.
- The car’s fuel tank should be filled up to 25% of its capacity.
Container Shipping
In container shipping, vehicles are loaded into a container and then transported to Cape Town in that sealed container. There are different container sizes available that you can use for car shipping to Cape Town. This shipping method adds an extra layer of security for car shipping to Cape Town as your cars are not exposed to the atmosphere. Moreover, you can keep some luggage in your car as the containers are sealed and opened only upon reaching the destination port. Container shipping is best for shipping luxury or antique vehicles to Cape Town from the USA. You have further two more choices in the container shipping method which we have explained below.
LCL or Shared Container Shipping
LCL (Less than Container Load) or shared containers are the economical options in container shipping. In shared container shipping, your car shares the space with other cars destined for shipping to the same port. In this way, the rent of the container is distributed among the rentees thereby reducing the costs of shipping per vehicle. This mode of shipping is ideal for transporting normal use cars without exposing them to the atmosphere. The only downside of this mode of shipping is that sometimes you have to wait an extra week or two before your car reaches its destination. The reason is that a shared container is shipped only when it has the requisite number of cars in it. If you want a faster delivery via container shipping, opt for a private container.
FCL or Private Container Shipping
In FCL (Full Container Load) or private container shipping, you pay for the entire space in the container as you are the only one renting the container. Apart from faster shipping, private container shipping allows you to ship as much luggage as you want along with the car. This mode of container shipping is expensive when compared with shared container shipping. Therefore, it is ideal for shipping luxury or antique cars to Cape Town.
Cost of Car shipping to Cape Town
On average, you have to pay between $3000 to $4000 for car shipping to Cape Town from the USA. This is just an estimated range and the actual price can vary according to your specific shipping needs. These costs are an estimate based on the assumption that you use a standard 20ft dedicated container for shipping your car safely to Cape Town.
The cost of shipping a car from the USA to Cape Town varies depending on the number of factors involved in the shipping process. These factors include the type and size of the car, shipping distance, method of shipment, and taxes.
RoRo shipping is more economical than container shipping and is generally recommended for shipping normal vehicles to Cape Town. Moreover, if you need a door-to-port shipping service, the overall cost of shipping will slightly increase. When we talk about container shipping, an exclusive container will cost you higher than a shared container.
You can reduce the shipping costs by driving the car yourself to the nearest port. If you are busy and unable to drive the car to the port of origin, we can pick the car from your doorstep. However, it will increase the overall shipping costs.
Distance between the ports of origin and destination also determines the shipping costs. For instance, car shipping to Cape Town from the East Coast in the US is cheaper when compared with shipping from the West Coast. You can contact us to get a custom quote today.
Time Required for Car Shipping to Cape Town
The time required for car shipping to Cape Town also depends on various factors including the mode of shipping, shipping season, and the distance between origin and destination ports. If you cannot drive the car yourself to the origin port in the US, you can use our door-to-port delivery service. However, you should expect 5 extra days for this additional service. On average, car shipping to Cape Town can take somewhere between five to six weeks. Almost 10 days are required to process your documents for car shipping to Cape Town. The actual delivery time can increase if there is a problem with your documentation. So, we recommend you to contact our representatives who will guide you about the time required for your custom shipping needs.
Popular Ports for Car Shipping to South Africa
Before you ship your car to South Africa, it is important to search the suitable ports for your car shipment. Seaports have always been a great source of generating a fortune of trade revenue in a country. The most popular and largest port in South Africa is Durban Port. It handles almost 13 million tons of shipment yearly. The seaport of Cape Town is the second-largest and busiest port in South Africa. It is situated in the table bay, which is located on the northern side of the Cape Peninsula. This port has both economic and strategic importance because it is present on the South Atlantic route. You can contact our dedicated team for assistance in selecting the most suitable port for your car shipments to South Africa.
Required Documents for Car Shipping to Cape Town
Before you can receive your vehicle at CapeTown, you have to produce some documents to the local authorities. The car is only handed over to you after verification of these documents. The documents include:
- Bill of Sales (original)
- Import Permit issued by the relevant authorities
- Vehicle Registration documents (original)
- D.A. 304A and P1.160 Forms (3 copies each)
- Temporary License
- Passport
Restrictions on Car Shipping to Cape Town
There are some rules and regulations in South Africa for importing any car into the country. These regulations are as follows:
- You can ship only right-hand driven vehicles into South Africa.
- Each native family can import only one car, and the driver must have the ownership for more than a year before importing it into Cape Town.
- A Special Import Permit issued by the South African embassy is essential to proceed with the shipment process.
- Immigrants cannot sell the cars for at least two years after shipping them to the country. If you are a returning native resident of the country, you will have to pay all the taxes and charges to ship your car.
- You must own the car for at least 12 months in the US before you can export the car to Cape Town.
- If you are a Foreign Diplomat working in Cape Town, you have to produce a Diplomatic Certificate before the car is shipped into South Africa. Moreover, you are not liable to pay any taxes or duties.
Find the right company for car shipping to CapeTown
Working with the right company for car shipping to Cape Town can save you a lot of trouble. An experienced car shipping company knows how to process your documents for fast shipping. Before you select a company for car shipments to South Africa, do your research. An ideal shipping company is one which has been in the shipping industry for many years. Having local connections in South Africa also helps the shipping companies to provide you with faster shipments.
Why choose AFL for Car Shipping in Cape Town?
NVOCC Service Provider
AFL feels pride in the fact that it is an NVOCC (non-vehicle Owning Common Carrier) service, provider. It means that we do not own these shipping vessels. Instead, we book your shipments with the most economical and safest shipping vessel available out there. An NVOCC service provider can provide you with the most economical shipping rates. NVOCC license is issued to only a select few companies with vast experience and multiple testaments from satisfied customers. Being an NVOCC service provider, we book large spaces on shipping vessels. Therefore, we can provide you with the most economical shipping rates.
Documentation Services
Our customs experts have decades of experience working on the paperwork involved in the shipping process. They can help you by preparing your documents and making sure nothing is left incomplete in the paperwork. Incomplete paperwork can result in unexpected delays during car shipping to Cape Town. Moreover, our customs experts know the laws of South Africa and keep themselves updated about any changes. This results in a smooth shipping experience for you.
Door to Domestic Services
We understand that you may have a busy schedule and might not be able to leave the car at the origin port. To cope with this problem, we offer door-to-domestic port services to our customers. Our shipping truck will pick up your car from your doorstep so that you can enjoy the whole process from the comfort of your home. Make sure to inform our team if you need door-to-domestic port services for an inoperational vehicle. In such a case, we have to use special equipment like a winch to load the car onto the shipping truck.
Conclusion:
Shipping to Cape Town is no more a hassle when you work with the right shipping partner. An experienced company like AFL with local connections in Cape Town can help you ship your cars without any delays. Moreover, being an NVOCC service provider, you can trust us to provide the best shipping rates for your car shipments to South Africa. Call us today for a customized shipping solution.