Shipping to South Africa
 

I am planning a trip to South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana next year. Still at early stages but started enquiries with some shipping agents to transport 2 bikes to South Africa:

*JamesCargo - *flying bikes out, they crate and handle most of it -£1540 per bike each way. Feck!!!! *I have asked how to make it cheaper. A LOT cheaper.*

RORO boat from Southampton : £1150 per bike one way. Still Feck!!!

Any tips on how to make this cheaper? *Is it South Africa? *Anyone emigrating that way in May with room for two bikes in their container? *

Try to get quotes on regular seafreight (no Ro-Ro), and it´s probably good to send both bikes as 1 shipment. On seafreight, you´ll probably have to crate the bikes (and also consider the possibility to make 1 larger box, that´ll contain both bikes - not certain to bring the costs down, but worth asking). You should be able to have multiple crates in 1 shipment, too.

I sent a DL650 from Sydney to Helsinki by sea in a Suzuki factory crate in April 2008, and that ended up costing about 700 euros total. Still think it was a fair price (airfreight was estimated 2,5 - 3 times as expensive). But it took 2 months! In your case, it might take something between 3-5 weeks.

When sending by sea, beware of the possible costs at the receiving end. Of that 700 euros, I had to pay some 180 euros in Helsinki just to pick up the bike (so I paid the freight company in Sydney only a bit more than 500). It had not overstayed at the warehouse, so I was a little bitter about that money. But still the total price was quite good I think.

Britannia Movers... British firm based in Croydon..

I shipped from Capetown to U.K and it cost £650 TOTAL...

It was in a private container so NO disassembly or drainage required.

Try to get a quote in a harbour at the docks directly. Freight companies usually have a bit of empty space in their containers, which they are glad to fill up for a fairly cheap price. In this cas you'll have to do all the paperwork yourself plus crating the bikes.

Normally a "freight forwarder" does all this work for you, but charges a much higher price - like the prices you quoted.

Regarding southern Africa:
Don't forget to organise a carnet!
A wealth of information can be found here: Wild Dog Adventure Riding - Index Via the Wilddog Bike forum you'll find members all over S.A. and NAM.
BMW Pretoria is another meeting point for bikers, regardless of the make of their bike.

Have fun
Hans

You don't need a carnet for the countries he is going to. bier

Apparently yes. I checked the SARS (SA Revenue Services) site. It says:


Motor vehicles imported on a temporary basis

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.


But this site also says:

DUTY-FREE TEMPORARY IMPORTATION
South Africa acceded to the ATA convention in 1975. Foreign visitors
(companies and individuals) can therefore approach their local Chambers
of Commerce for advice regarding the issuing of an ATA Carnet for the
temporary importation of certain goods in a simplified method.

Temporary importation of vehicles and other articles (for tourists
and travellers resident in foreign countries)
Please ensure that you have the relevant clearance document for the
vehicle i.e. Carnets, permits, etc., if applicable.

I suppose the carnet makes things much easier, but they do cost a fortune. Something like 150 €. :(

I was there 6 months ago and there were plenty of people without carnets in those countries. You get your import at the borders. In fact, I'm pretty sure you only need one import permit as they are in a kind of customs agreement in Southern African countries.

I had a carnet as I came all the way through from Europe but I really wouldn't bother if I was just in the South. In fact, if it wasn't for Egypt and Sudan, you wouldn't need a carnet for Africa at all.

Does it make it easier !!! Possibly.....

The five southern countries in fact do have a tax and customs agreement, I was told. That's why it's so easy to travel around the south from one country to the other.

In 2006 the SA embassy in Munich told me that a carnet was definitely required for my bike. And the first thing the customs offiicer asked for at the airport was the carnet. I supposed coming overland to SA, the border control isn't as fussy as at the ports.

The law at the port is the same at the border. They will ask for a carnet because that is what they're used to.

It really isn't required.

A carnet is simpler once you're there but seems a big waste of time and money.

TIP to South Africa on a Uk reg. bike
 

Hi all...can it be confirmed that i can cross from the Namibia SA without a CDP?

I am a Brit on a Uk reg bike and will export the bike a week or two after i finish in SA.

Im going from London to Johannesburg for charity,solo and un supported.

Please dont tell me i HAVE to have a Carnet,as i simply cant afford it.

It probably boils down to what you're prepared to risk. The customs regulations of S.A. clearly state that a CDP is required, but overlanders have entered the country without this document - like Ted did it.

You could check the site of the SARS (revenue & taxes):
South African Revenue Service - Search Detail and search for "temporary imports"

Good luck!

Re: Shipping to South Africa
 

I had a carnet and entered through Mozambique. You don't need a Carnet to enter south Africa as far as I know...

I've been looking at this while planning my next trip (next year, I hope, starting from Capetown), and one thing that comes up a lot is the erratic schedules of ships. It wouldn't take long for the difference in seafreight to be eatun up by the ship arriving days or even weeks later than you do.

I plan to fly my bike down there and will console myself with the thought that after three or four weeks I'll have broken even compared to renting a big GS.

Have regularly shipped into Walvis Bay in Namibia at the start of touring trips to southern African countries and have always been asked for carnet both on leaving UK, arriving in Walvis Bay and in both ports on the return journey. Cross border between SADC members no carnet once it has been initially stamped on arrival but can be checked by customs. Countries where this is applicable are listed on the carnet.

The only time we have had delays in ship arriving was in 2010 and this was due to problems with the docking by the port authorities and not the shipping company. We always use MACS Shipping.

Margaret

Carnet South Africa
 

Anyone knows what's the last word on needing a carnet for a bike in South Africa? Reports on this Hubb vary and the site of the SA customs isn't very clear to me. Seems like the rules have loosened since 2012.

My bike's on the way to Capetown by ship, my shipping agent insists I don't need one but the company who handles the customs clearance insists I do need one. Any recent experiences?

Cheers,
Rob

Thanks for your quick reply Chris. What a bummer. Seems like I have to get a carnet in a hurry. doh The bike is due to arrive next week.

Cheers
Rob

Hola
We have shipped there a bike back in March from a fellow mate without the Carnet and this is the report he sent us:

……I finally picked it up yesterday from the airport. Everything was fine but I have to tell you that waiting for it to go through customs was tedious but of course necessary. So here is what happened:

The bike arrived on Tuesday 19th March. I submitted paperwork to a clearing agent on Friday 22nd March for a temporary permit. I paid the agent for various fees around $250 and gave them the following copies:

-Passport photo page
-passport entry stamp page
-bike registration
-3 x valuations for the moto on letter headed paper from dealers in your home country
-A deposit of roughly 20% of the highest valuation of the moto (you get this back when you export the bike but its a complicated process involving a clearing agent and of course fees)

Your agent then arranges with customs to have the bike inspected by and then they clear the bike and you meet the agent at the airport to pick the bike up. Customs closes at 3.30pm during the week and they are not open at the weekends or public holidays. There was a public holiday on Thursday 21st March, I submitted paperwork on Friday 22nd March with all the fees to the agent (we just missed customs by 2 minutes in the afternoon) then we had the weekend. On Monday they processed the application and I got the bike on Tuesday. Not too bad.. Sometimes they inspect the bike and sometimes they dont need to. They didnt need to inspect the bike with me so that saved some time.

Obviously having a carnet is much simpler. But being Greek on a Mexican motorbike very far away from your country makes life very difficult to try and get a carnet from anyone.... So I think Africa without a carnet is going to be an adventure to say the least…..

It seems like flying or shipping in is very difficult. I know that if you cross in through a land border, you can easily get a temporary import.

As far as I'm aware of (and my information is from 2011), you only really need a carnet for Egypt and maybe Sudan.