Container Shipping Costs from the UK to South Africa

The prices above provide a guide to current container shipping costs from the UK to South Africa. Your final quotation will depend on the exact services required, your collection and delivery addresses and the type and size of shipment.

Packing Services

Professional export packing helps protect furniture, household goods and personal effects during handling and international sea freight.

Packing requirements vary depending on the size of the shipment and the type of goods being shipped, so we do not publish a separate fixed packing charge.

For shared-container shipments, your belongings are professionally packed and secured onto individual pallets before the final packed volume is measured.

Shipment Protection (Insurance)

MoveProtect shipment protection is available for goods shipped to South Africa and is calculated as a percentage of the declared value of your shipment.

Current options are:

• Restricted Cover – 2% of declared value: Covers total loss only.
• Standard Cover – 4% of declared value: Covers total loss, theft and damage, with a 1% deductible capped at £250.
• Super Cover – 4.5% of declared value: Covers total loss, theft and damage with no deductible.

MoveProtect is underwritten by Basil Fry Insurance and is available as an extension to our standard contract. Learn more about MoveProtect.

UK Collection and South African Delivery

Collection and delivery costs depend mainly on your UK collection point and your final delivery address in South Africa.

The further the collection or delivery point is from the main transport route or port, the more this can affect the overall cost.

UK collection and final delivery are included in our door-to-door quotations.

Port, Shipping-Line and Destination Charges

Container shipments can incur handling and destination charges associated with the shipping line, port or destination terminal.

For shared-container shipments, charges can include unloading the container at destination and storage while the shipment completes customs clearance.

For full-container shipments, a Terminal Handling Charge (THC) is normally applied at the South African port for handling the container through the terminal.

These normal destination and port handling charges are included in our door-to-door quotations and are not added later as unexpected extras.

Storage and Additional Handling

Additional charges may apply where goods require:

• Storage outside the normal clearance period
• Customs examination or inspection

Your written quotation will clearly show what is included, allowing you to compare container shipping prices on a like-for-like basis.

There are two main ways to ship household goods and personal effects from the UK to South Africa by sea: Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL).

The right option depends mainly on the volume of goods you are shipping. Larger shipments generally suit a dedicated 20ft or 40ft container, while smaller shipments can share container space and be charged according to the volume they use.

What Is FCL?

FCL stands for Full Container Load and gives you sole use of a dedicated 20ft or 40ft shipping container.

Benefits of FCL Container Shipping to South Africa

Using a sole-use container offers several advantages for larger shipments:

• More space: A 20ft container is commonly suitable for the contents of a larger 2 or 3-bedroom home, while a 40ft container provides considerably more capacity for larger 4 or 5-bedroom shipments.
• Sole use: The container space is reserved exclusively for your belongings and is not shared with other customers.
• Direct shipping: Once packed and ready for export, the container can be moved to port and booked onto the next suitable vessel without waiting for other shipments to be consolidated.
• Reduced handling: Your belongings remain together within the same container throughout the main sea-freight journey, reducing the need for handling between shipments.

What Is LCL?

LCL stands for Less than Container Load and is also commonly known as shared-container shipping.

Instead of paying for an entire 20ft or 40ft container, your goods share container space with other shipments and you pay according to the space your own shipment occupies.

Benefits of LCL Container Shipping to South Africa

Shared-container shipping can be particularly suitable for smaller shipments.

• Ideal for smaller moves: LCL works well for boxes, furniture, personal effects, studio flats, 1-bedroom homes and other shipments that do not require a full container.
• Cost-effective: You pay for the container space your own shipment uses rather than paying for unused capacity in a dedicated container.
• Professionally packed and palletised: We professionally protect, pack and secure shared shipments onto individual pallets before shipping. See how our palletised packing works.
• Accurately measured: Once packing is complete, we measure the finished palletised shipment in cubic metres (cbm) so the charge can be based on the actual packed volume.

Which Option Should I Choose?

For smaller shipments, LCL is normally the more economical option because you pay only for the space your goods use.

As shipment volume increases, a dedicated 20ft container can become more cost-effective. For the largest shipments, a 40ft container provides substantially more capacity.

We compare the available options when preparing your quotation and advise which service best suits the size of your shipment and destination in South Africa.

Container shipping from the UK to South Africa typically takes around 3 to 6 weeks by sea, depending on the destination, vessel and scheduled sailing.

Transit times vary between Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Goods shipped to Johannesburg generally enter through the Port of Durban and travel inland by rail or truck, so additional time should be allowed for the onward journey.

Weekly Container Shipping to South Africa

We provide regular weekly container shipping from the UK to South Africa for both shared and full-container shipments.

For shared-container customers, our palletised shipping system allows shipments to be booked onto the next suitable scheduled commercial sailing, rather than waiting for a traditional groupage container to fill.

Full 20ft and 40ft containers can also be booked onto the next suitable sailing once the shipment is ready for export.

Check Current Vessel Dates and Transit Times

Exact transit times change from sailing to sailing, so we publish current vessel information separately rather than relying on fixed historic averages.

Our South Africa shipping schedule shows:

• Vessel name
• UK departure date
• South African destination
• Estimated arrival date
• Current scheduled transit time

View the current UK to South Africa container shipping schedule.

Container shipments from the UK are routed through South Africa’s main commercial ports before onward transport to the final destination.

The most suitable port depends on where your goods are being delivered.

Cape Town

Cape Town is the main container gateway for the Western Cape and one of the principal destinations for UK-to-South-Africa shipping.

Shipments arriving in Cape Town can be delivered throughout the city and onward across the Western Cape.

Current prices start from:

• Shared container shipment – £484
• 1-bed shared shipment – £2,187
• 20ft container – £3,360
• 40ft container – £7,260

Durban

Durban is a major container port serving KwaZulu-Natal and is also the main gateway for many shipments travelling inland to Johannesburg and Gauteng.

Current prices start from:

• Shared container shipment – £493
• 1-bed shared shipment – £2,217
• 20ft container – £3,695
• 40ft container – £7,390

Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, is an important container gateway for the Eastern Cape.

Current prices start from:

• Shared container shipment – £510
• 1-bed shared shipment – £2,295
• 20ft container – £3,826
• 40ft container – £7,651

Shipping Containers to Johannesburg

Port for Johannesburg: Goods shipped to Johannesburg generally enter through the Port of Durban and travel inland by rail or truck.

Current prices to Johannesburg start from:

• Shared container shipment – £533
• 1-bed shared shipment – £2,397
• 20ft container – £3,995
• 40ft container – £7,990

The additional inland transport is one reason container shipping costs to Johannesburg can differ from coastal destinations.

Household goods and personal effects shipped to South Africa must complete South African customs clearance before they can be released for delivery.

Used household goods may qualify for duty-free import under rebate item 407.06 where the relevant conditions are met. SARS lists key documents including a detailed inventory, DA 304, P1.160 and the SAD 500 Customs Declaration.

We help prepare the required shipping documentation and work with our appointed South African agents to coordinate the clearance process. For full details on duty-free eligibility, documentation and restricted goods, see our South Africa customs guide.

FREE Quote