Shipping a car to Africa

You should be well aware of the rules and regulations in Africa before shipping a car to Africa. This will ensure that your process of import will be completed successfully without any hassles.

First of all you need to obtain a permit to import a car from ITAC and also a letter of authority from the South African Bureau of Standards. This letter of authority is required both in case of new cars and used cars. If the car is manufactured outside Africa or even if it is manufactured within Africa, this letter of Authority from South African Bureau of Standards is necessary for shipping a car to Africa. The car which is to be shipped to Africa must match the Road traffic Act and you should obtain a proof of confirmation regarding this, which must be submitted to the South African Bureau of Standards.

For a car which is to be shipped to Africa, it is compulsory to obtain an import permit. As it is necessary for a person to have a permanent residence in South Africa, you need to show a valid proof of your address to the authorities for obtaining the import permit. This import permit once done will be sent to your African address and it will not be send to any address outside Africa. For obtaining the import permit an application is required to be filed with the Director of Import and Export Control in Africa. The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa is the body controlling the policies regarding issue of import permits for car shipping to Africa.

As an import duty is applicable on all cars which are imported from overseas, in Africa also there is an import duty on cars import which is applicable on all cars imported from outside Africa. The rate of duty varies from country to country. If a person is shifting permanently to Africa and opting for a permanent residence there, he can obtain a duty free option on his car which is to be imported to Africa after showing valid documents regarding proof of permanent residence. The custom duty which needs to be paid also varies depending upon the age of the car shipped. A value added tax is also applicable in Africa which needs to be paid for imported cars.

It is advisable that you obtain the services of a renowned shipping agency with experience in shipping a car to Africa. This will relieve you from the hassles of documentation and formalities as the shipping company will take care of all these aspects. You should clarify all your terms and discuss about the expenditure involved in shipping your car before finalizing the shipping company. It is better to obtain quotes from various shipping companies and then finalize one after verifying their credentials and comparing their quotes. You can take help of the various websites which offer personalized services for obtaining quotes from various shipping companies of repute for shipping a car to Africa and allow them to choose amongst them as per your requirements and needs.