Sending your belongings to South Africa by sea
Moving to South Africa, going home after years in Canada, or sending boxes to family? Personal effects travel in a shared ocean container (LCL groupage) from our receiving warehouses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to <a href="/shipping-to/cape-town-south-africa/">Cape Town</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/durban-south-africa/">Durban</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/johannesburg-south-africa/">Johannesburg</a>, and <a href="/shipping-to/port-elizabeth-south-africa/">Port Elizabeth</a>. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 2 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 48–73 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to South Africa are accepted subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and only then is the booking confirmed.
Household goods. Immigrants with a permanent residence permit and South African residents returning after living abroad can usually import used household goods free of duty, declared to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) with the passport, permit and inventory. New goods are dutiable. Commercial importers must be registered with SARS customs.
Rates for household boxes to South Africa
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | USD 5 / cu ft 61 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 5 / cu ft 58 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 2 / cu ft 60 days · min. USD 394.51 |
| Durban | USD 5 / cu ft 58 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 5 / cu ft 55 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 2 / cu ft 55 days · min. USD 394.51 |
| Johannesburg | USD 6 / cu ft 48 days · min. USD 476.92 | USD 5 / cu ft 48 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 4 / cu ft 60 days · min. USD 406.28 |
| Port Elizabeth | USD 8 / cu ft 73 days · min. USD 562.43 | USD 8 / cu ft 73 days · min. USD 562.43 | USD 7 / cu ft 63 days · min. USD 527.69 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Cape Town
A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 inches holds 3.0 cubic feet; packed with clothes, books and kitchenware it weighs about 15 kg.
- 10 boxes (30 cu ft, 150 kg): USD 394.51
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 394.51
- The smallest shipment: USD 394.51
The totals include the A1 processing fee, surcharges and solar fee. The carrier charges by volume or by weight (1,000 kg per CBM), whichever is greater. From the Prairies, with trucking to the port included: Calgary USD 534.51 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 534.51 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Cape Town
- From Toronto: USD 565.00, about 61 days
- From Montreal: USD 565.00, about 58 days
- From Vancouver: USD 394.51, about 60 days
Vancouver is the least expensive gateway to Cape Town, Montreal the fastest: 2 days quicker for USD 170.49 more. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
20 moving boxes to different cities in South Africa
- Cape Town: USD 394.51 from Vancouver, about 60 days
- Durban: USD 394.51 from Vancouver, about 55 days
- Johannesburg: USD 505.00 from Vancouver, about 60 days
- Port Elizabeth: USD 685.00 from Vancouver, about 63 days
The difference between the least and the most expensive of these is USD 290.49.
Documents for personal effects
- Passport copy. The photo page of the shipper's passport. It must be valid (not expired) and the name must match the shipper on the booking and on the packing list. We accept a passport from any country, but no other ID.
- Packing list. Our fillable packing list (PDF) names the shipper and the receiver in South Africa and lists every box: contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. Number the boxes and write the same numbers on the list. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" is useful; "personal items" is not. Sign it before you upload it.
- Customs value. The total declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000.
The carrier's tariff requires a passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment, and household goods must be professionally packed. More help: how to fill in the packing list.
Packing advice
Your boxes are handled several times: at the warehouse, in the container and at the terminal in Cape Town. Use new, strong double-wall cartons and fill them completely so they do not collapse under the weight of others; seal every seam with packing tape. Put heavy items such as books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Write the receiver's name and city in South Africa on two sides of every box. Many boxes can be strapped onto a pallet on ISPM 15 heat-treated wood; you or your mover prepare the pallet, A1 does not palletize.
What not to pack
The carrier does not accept vehicles or parts with fuel, food, plants, animals, medication, weapons, dangerous goods (aerosols, batteries, paint, flammable liquids), cash, jewellery or other valuables. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you pack it.
Carrier conditions for South Africa
- Commercial Invoice / Packing List Required
- Personal Effects Donated Goods On Approval
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- East London MIN 3 CBM
Insurance (optional)
Cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, with a USD 300 deductible. To request it, sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both on your booking page before departure. All forms: useful links and forms.
How to book
Calculate the price in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects", accept the quote and upload the passport copy and the signed packing list on your booking page. After the carrier approves the shipment and confirms the destination charges, you pay and receive the labels and the warehouse delivery instructions. You deliver the boxes yourself: A1 does not offer pickup from your home.
Shipping to South Africa by service
- All shipping to South Africa: rates and destinations
- Commercial cargo shipping to South Africa from Canada
By city: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to South Africa?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Cape Town cost about USD 394.51 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to South Africa?
A copy of the photo page of the shipper's passport: valid, not expired, and in the same name as the shipper on the booking and the packing list. A passport from any country is accepted; no other ID is.
Can A1 pick up my boxes at home?
No. You or a local mover deliver the packed boxes to our receiving warehouse in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; the warehouse measures and weighs them and the final price follows those measurements.
Rates valid through December 25, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.