Car Shipping from UK to South Africa — RoRo & Container

Vehicles leaving the UK for South Africa typically depart from Southampton, Sheerness, Tilbury and Felixstowe, depending on the shipping line and cargo type. RoRo (Roll-on Roll-off) sailings load at Southampton and Sheerness with weekly schedules to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London. Container traffic — both 20ft and 40ft, sole-use or shared — typically loads at Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway and discharges at the main container terminals at Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London.

Choosing the right UK loading port is mostly a function of the shipping line's schedule rather than geography. Our team selects the optimum sailing each week based on space, transit time and price, and bundles UK door collection from your address into the booking — Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Scottish Highlands serviced on a quoted basis.

RoRo (Roll-on Roll-off) is the cheapest and fastest option for a single running vehicle. The car is driven onto a purpose-built RoRo vessel at the UK port, parked on a dedicated deck, lashed down and driven off in South Africa. RoRo is ideal for standard saloons, SUVs and pickups in working condition with intact steering, brakes and a working ignition. Pricing from From £1,250 RoRo.

Container shipping is the right choice for non-runners, classics, high-value cars and any shipment that includes personal effects or household goods. A 20ft container holds one car plus a moderate amount of effects; a 40ft holds two cars side-by-side. Shared container (one car-slot in a 40ft consolidated with other UK-origin cars going to South Africa) bridges the gap between RoRo price and container protection — often the best-value choice for a single valuable car. Pricing from From £2,250 sole-use 20ft.

If you have a high-value classic, supercar or non-runner, sole-use container is the safest option. If you have a standard daily driver and price matters most, RoRo wins. If you want to ship personal effects with the car or you have a £15k+ vehicle, shared container is the sweet spot.

Every vehicle exported from the UK to South Africa must clear HMRC export formalities and then be declared to South Africa customs on arrival. On the UK side we need the original V5C log book (we endorse and submit the V5C/4 export slip to DVLA on your behalf, removing the vehicle from the UK record), photographic ID for the registered keeper, and proof of purchase if the vehicle has been registered to you for under 30 days. For trade buyers we also need an EORI number and a commercial invoice.

Outstanding finance must be settled before export — finance houses will not release export consent until the loan is cleared. We can hold the vehicle at our consolidation warehouse free for up to 14 days while finance is settled. UK HMRC export clearance is included in our freight rate and submitted in-house under our own EORI through the Customs Declaration Service (CDS).

South Africa customs apply 25% duty + 15% VAT (private imports restricted — see ITAC permit) on the CIF value of the vehicle declared on import. Vehicle age restriction: Used car imports restricted to returning residents, immigrants, vintage 40+ years, inheritance — ITAC permit required. The CIF value is the cost of the car + UK insurance + freight to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, converted to local currency at the prevailing customs exchange rate.

South Africa drives on the left, so UK-spec RHD vehicles are the natural choice and are widely accepted by customs and registration authorities. SARS Letter of Authority (LOA) and SABS conformity required.

Popular UK car imports into South Africa include Returning residents and immigrants importing personal cars; classics over 40 years. Our South Africa clearing agent provides exact duty quotations before vessel arrival, so you know the total landed cost before the ship docks.

Indicative port-to-port transit 28–38 days RoRo · 35–45 days container. Add 5–10 days for UK door collection, warehouse processing and port loading at the UK end. Add 5–14 days for South Africa port handling, customs clearance, duty payment and onward delivery at the destination end. Total realistic door-to-door window is therefore 4–8 weeks for RoRo and 5–9 weeks for container shipping.

Sailing frequency to Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London is typically weekly for RoRo and fortnightly for container — meaning average waiting time at the UK port is 3–7 days from delivery to vessel cut-off. We book the next available sailing at the time of booking and provide the vessel name, estimated time of departure (ETD) and estimated time of arrival (ETA) in writing.

The total landed cost of a UK car in South Africa = our UK door-to-port quote + South Africa destination port handling charges (THC) + import duty and tax + clearing agent fees + onward delivery to your address. Door-to-port from us is typically From £1,250 RoRo (RoRo) or From £2,250 sole-use 20ft (container). Destination charges in South Africa vary by port but typical THC + agent + delivery runs the equivalent of £350–£750.

Marine insurance is optional but strongly recommended — typical premium 1.5%–2.5% of declared vehicle value, covering total loss, partial damage and theft door-to-door. Our quote tool breaks down freight, marine cover and an estimate of destination duty so the total landed cost is clear before you book.