Car Shipping to South Africa
from the United Kingdom
South Africa is a major destination for UK vehicle exports with good RORO connections. The Ship Cars provides bi-weekly services to Durban and Cape Town. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to South Africa from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to South Africa costs from £890 port-to-port for a standard saloon. 20–28 days to Durban. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth. The Ship Cars, the vehicle shipping agent of Ascope Shipping Services LTD, handles UK collection, export paperwork and customs documentation end to end.
Shipping to South Africa: cars, trucks, machinery and import rules
Information reviewed September 2026. Always confirm final rules with the official authority before shipping.
Car shipping from the UK to South Africa
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth in about 20–28 days to Durban. RORO: £890. Container: Enquire (20ft container).
Choose RORO shipping for the lowest price on running vehicles, or container shipping for extra protection and personal effects. Specialist options include classic car shipping and electric vehicle shipping.
Estimate your price with the cost calculator or check upcoming departures on the RORO sailing schedule.
Truck and commercial vehicle shipping to South Africa
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 20–28 days to Durban.
- Exact length, width, height and gross weight required for a quote
- Running and non-running trucks accepted (towing / crane loading arranged)
- Tanks drained, loose items removed, V5C and export declaration needed
- Check South Africa age and emissions limits for commercial vehicles before buying
Read more: truck shipping service, commercial vehicle shipping and our guide to shipping a truck from the UK.
Machinery and plant shipping to South Africa
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including South Africa, inspect for biosecurity.
- Tracked machines loaded on MAFI trailers or flat-racks
- Professional washing and fumigation certificates where required
- Dimensions and weight drive the price — oversize cargo quoted individually
- Commercial invoice and proof of ownership needed for customs
See our heavy machinery shipping service and customs clearance support.
South Africa vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Import duty 25% for used vehicles.
- VAT 15%.
- Vehicles must comply with SABS (South African Bureau of Standards).
- Right-hand drive required (SA drives on the left).
- Import permits required from ITAC (International Trade Administration Commission).
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ITAC import permit
- SABS compliance certificate
- Letter of authority
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official South Africa & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to South Africa?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for South Africa, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
20–28 days to Durban
Ports
Durban, Cape Town +1
Starting From
£890
Overview
South Africa is a major destination for UK vehicle exports with good RORO connections. The Ship Cars provides bi-weekly services to Durban and Cape Town.
Shipping Methods
RORO to Durban and Cape Town. Container shipping also available. Durban is the primary vehicle import port in South Africa.
Transit Time
20–28 days to Durban. 22–30 days to Cape Town from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Import duty 25% for used vehicles. VAT 15%. Vehicles must comply with SABS (South African Bureau of Standards). Right-hand drive required (SA drives on the left). Import permits required from ITAC (International Trade Administration Commission).
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ITAC import permit
- SABS compliance certificate
- Letter of authority
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £890 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | Enquire |
| Container | Enquire (20ft container) |
| 2 cars (saloon / 4x4) — 40ft container | Enquire |
Port-to-port only. UK collection, destination charges and import duty are quoted separately.
RORO shipping to South Africa (Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town) is £890 port-to-port for a saloon. Import duty 25%. VAT 15%. Import permit fees ~ZAR 1,500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Africa drive on the left?
Do I need an import permit for South Africa?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to South Africa?
Which UK ports do you ship from to South Africa?
What documents do I need to ship a car to South Africa?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to South Africa?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to South Africa?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to South Africa from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to South Africa every month. African importers absorb more used UK vehicle volume than any other region, with West, East and Southern African ports each running their own weekly RORO calls and consolidated container schedules out of Tilbury, Southampton and Felixstowe. Typical clients on this lane include fleet operators and SACU buyers, alongside private owners relocating to South Africa and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-South Africa corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with South Africa customs.
Vehicles depart from Felixstowe, Southampton, Bristol (Portbury) and arrive at Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth via Cape routing via Walvis Bay and Durban. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 20–28 days to durban, supported by marine all-risks insurance, GPS-tracked UK collection and bonded warehousing where required. For an instant indication of cost, use our car shipping cost calculator or request a tailored quote on our quote page.
How UK to South Africa car shipping works
Every shipment to South Africa follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Felixstowe, bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Durban (and onward feeder to Cape Town where required), and destination customs handover. You choose the shipping mode that best matches the vehicle profile and budget — see the full breakdown on our car shipping costs page or compare live RORO sailing dates to South Africa.
RORO to South Africa
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for South Africa. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Durban. RORO shipping to South Africa — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to South Africa
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Cape Town. Dedicated container shipping to South Africa.
South Africa ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for South Africa are typically routed through Durban as the lead discharge port, with Cape Town, Port Elizabeth available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to South Africa and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Durban
- Port of Cape Town
- Port of Port Elizabeth
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
South Africa import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into South Africa is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest South Africa customs schedule before quoting.
- Vehicle age limits and pre-shipment inspection (PSI/SGS/Intertek)
- Country-specific import duties, VAT and excise on engine size
- RORO and container handling at Tema, Apapa, Mombasa and Durban
- Right-hand-drive compatibility in most markets
Document checklist for South Africa
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ITAC import permit
- SABS compliance certificate
- Letter of authority
For full country-specific customs rules, see our South Africa import guides and articles, our UK and South Africa customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Durban.
Who ships to South Africa
- • Returning South Africa residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to South Africa
- • Africa car dealers and South Africa re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to South Africa
- • Saloons, hatchbacks and family cars
- • SUVs, 4x4s and pickups (Land Rover, Range Rover, Toyota, Nissan)
- • Luxury and executive vehicles (Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi)
- • Performance and supercars (McLaren, Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari)
- • Classic and historic vehicles (pre-1990 with HMRC NOVA exemption)
- • Motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes
- • Vans, light commercials and motorhomes
- • Electric and hybrid vehicles (EV battery documentation supported)
Why exporters choose The Ship Cars for South Africa
• Specialist UK-to-South Africa corridor with weekly capacity
• Marine all-risks insurance and bonded UK warehousing
• HMRC NOVA, C88, EORI and DVLA V5C export handled in-house
• Transparent UK to South Africa pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Durban agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to South Africa
Shipping methods
Pricing & schedules
Guides & comparisons
Other Africa destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Africa countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as South Africa. Many customers shipping to South Africa also enquire about Kenya, Nigeria because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to South Africa
Use our online quote form for South Africa sailing dates, indicative landed cost and document checks. Quotes are typically answered the same working day.