Plan air, ocean or express shipping around your cargo weight, budget and timeline. Choose all-inclusive DDP options with customs clearance and duties handled for you.
Plan your shipment
China sourcing. South African ambition.
Compare door to door shipping from China to South Africa around the size, urgency and margin of the order. Air DDP suits commercial restocks that need a shorter transit window; Sea LCL DDP suits planned bulk stock. Express and FCL are alternatives with their own charging and customs arrangements.
A DDP quote should define the named delivery place and cover international freight, customs clearance, applicable duties and VAT, and agreed final delivery. Check whether warehouse QC, labels, storage, insurance, special cargo, remote locations and marketplace appointments are included. Confirm the importer of record before shipping.
Send the receiving city, province, postcode, address type, business hours and unloading needs. Destinations to discuss include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Midrand, Centurion, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), East London and Bloemfontein. Availability and final charges are confirmed for your exact address.
| Shipping option | Typical transit time | Best for | Billing & customs scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Freight DDP (All-in) | 8–12 working days | 10 kg–500 kg commercial restocks & urgent stock | Per chargeable kg; international freight, SARS customs clearance, duties, VAT and agreed door delivery. |
| Sea Freight LCL DDP | 32–45 days | 1 CBM–15 CBM heavy or bulky wholesale stock | Per CBM / weight bracket; ocean freight, agreed port handling, customs, duties and delivery. |
| Express Courier (DHL/FedEx/UPS) | 3–6 working days | Urgent samples & lightweight parcels under 20 kg | Carrier chargeable weight; the receiver typically pays duties/VAT where the quote is DAP. Confirm the actual service term. |
| Sea Freight FCL (20GP / 40HQ) | 25–38 days port-to-port | Full-container commercial imports | Container-based quotation; port-to-port and door-to-door scopes are quoted separately. Confirm importer and customs arrangements. |
Indicative transit estimates for route planning. Confirm the dispatch or sailing start point, destination scope and current schedule in your written quote. Purchasing, warehouse preparation, customs exceptions and delivery appointments can add time.
Importer-registration guidance: SARS importers.
For planning, express courier is typically estimated at 3–6 working days, Air DDP at 8–12 working days and Sea LCL DDP at 32–45 days. Full-container ocean transport is estimated separately, with 25–38 days used as an indicative port-to-port window. Confirm the current route, departure and delivery scope in your quote.
DDP does not by itself determine whether an importer registration or other document is required. Confirm the importer of record and the registration requirements for your transaction before dispatch. SARS publishes the applicable importer-registration guidance.
Sea LCL DDP is often the option to compare for bulky planned wholesale stock, while air or express can suit lighter urgent cargo. Compare the complete delivered cost, minimum charges, cargo acceptance and delivery window for the actual order.
Bring your cargo details, delivery address and restock date. Start with a brief that covers the whole journey.
Build your shipment brief