Shipping from Germany to South Africa: auction purchases, art and spare parts, door to door.
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban: we collect your auction purchase or supplier goods in northwest Germany, pack in our own workshop, prepare the export documents and the EU-SADC origin declaration where it saves duty, and ship insured by express. Art and antiques are duty-free in South Africa; you pay 15 % VAT to the carrier on arrival.
Shipping to South Africa: what to expect.
2 to 5 working days door to door with DHL Express or UPS, plus clearance.
0 %: paintings, sculptures, prints, collectors' items and antiques over 100 years are free in the SARS tariff for all origins.
Many lines are free; where a rate exists, EU-origin goods get the EPA preference with an origin declaration or EUR.1 on the invoice.
15 % on the customs value plus 10 % uplift plus duty, collected by SARS through the carrier's declaration.
None in practice. The old R500 concession is being phased out; VAT applies regardless of value.
Private buyers: ID or passport number, cleared under the generic code for personal use up to R150,000 per year. Companies: SARS importer code.
Facts checked October 2026. Rates and thresholds are set by South African authorities and can change; your quote states what applies on the day.
From the hammer or the supplier to your door in South Africa.
Auction purchases
Paintings, prints, sculptures, porcelain, glass, clocks, watches, coins, books and collectors' items from German auction houses. We collect with your authorisation, photograph the condition and pack each piece for its own risk.
Antiques and furniture
Chests, chairs, mirrors, small furniture and decorative objects up to about 1.3 m and a few hundred kilograms, in made-to-measure wooden crates from our workshop. Larger pieces we route to a specialist forwarder and tell you so in advance.
Spare parts and industrial goods
Machine parts, components, samples and small equipment from German suppliers, collected, consolidated, export-packed and shipped with commercial invoice, packing list and the origin statement where a trade agreement saves you duty.
Four steps from Germany to South Africa.
- You write to us
Auction house and lot number, or supplier and order, plus your delivery address in South Africa. We reply within one working day with a quote that covers collection, packing, export documents and transport.
- We collect
With your authorisation at the auction house, or at the supplier, across northwest Germany. Items are photographed on arrival in Hannover.
- We pack and declare
Made-to-measure packing or a wooden crate, export declaration with EU exit confirmation, commercial invoice with the right HS codes for South African customs. You pay our invoice after packing, by card or PayPal.
- Delivery to your door
DHL Express, UPS or FedEx with tracking, insured on request for the value you name. Import duty and tax are collected by the carrier on arrival; this page tells you what to expect.
Importing into South Africa: duties, VAT and rules.
General information for buyers and importers, not tax or legal advice. Duties and taxes are assessed by the customs authority of South Africa on the day of import and collected by the carrier; we prepare the documents so that assessment goes smoothly. Checked October 2026; sources at the end of this page.
Art, antiques and collectors' items
The South African tariff lists chapter 97 as free in the general, EU, EFTA and SADC columns: paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, collectors' items such as coins and stamps, and antiques over 100 years pay no duty. What you pay is 15 % VAT, calculated on the customs value plus a 10 % uplift plus any duty, collected by SARS through the carrier.
VAT and the end of the low-value concession
South Africa used to clear low-value parcels under a 20 % flat rate without VAT. Since September 2024 VAT is charged on top, and the 2025 tax law amendments remove the concession entirely, so VAT applies whatever the value. For an auction purchase this changes nothing: expect 15 % VAT on the full value plus freight, and no duty on art and antiques.
Spare parts and industrial goods under the EU-SADC agreement
Many machinery lines are free in any case. Where a general rate exists, goods of EU origin enter at the preferential rate of the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement with an origin declaration on the invoice or a EUR.1 movement certificate. The preference must be claimed when the declaration is lodged, it cannot be added later, so we prepare the origin proof with your supplier before dispatch. Commercial importers need a SARS importer code.
Private buyers and the generic code
Private individuals importing for personal use are cleared under SARS code 70707070 with their ID or passport number, up to R150,000 per calendar year. Since November 2025 declarations above that limit are rejected automatically and a personal customs code must be applied for, so frequent buyers should register early. We tell you when you get close.
German VAT refund and restricted items
Our export declaration with the EU exit confirmation lets the German seller refund the German VAT to you. Items containing ivory or other CITES materials need a permit from the environment department and the German CITES export permit; second-hand goods can need an ITAC import permit, which we check for antiques case by case. We do not ship weapons or militaria.
Frequently asked questions.
Do I pay duty on art or antiques shipped from Germany to South Africa?
No, chapter 97 is duty-free. You pay 15 % VAT on the customs value plus a 10 % uplift, collected by the carrier for SARS.
How long does shipping from Germany to Johannesburg or Cape Town take?
Express 2 to 5 working days door to door after dispatch, plus clearance.
Do I need an importer code as a private buyer?
No. You are cleared under the generic personal-use code with your ID number, up to R150,000 per year. Above that, or for commercial imports, a SARS importer code is needed.
Can you ship spare parts from a German supplier to our plant in South Africa?
Yes. We collect at the supplier, pack for transport, issue the invoice with the EU-SADC origin declaration so you pay the preferential duty, and ship by express or air freight.
What about antiques with ivory inlays or tortoiseshell?
They need CITES permits on both sides and can take weeks. Tell us before you bid and we say honestly whether it is worth it.
Can I get the German VAT back?
Yes, if the seller agrees to the export procedure. We provide the export declaration with the EU exit confirmation and the seller refunds the German VAT.
Question not listed?
Ask us directlySources and date checked
Shipping from Germany, question by question
Practical answers for companies buying in Hannover and northwest Germany: spare parts, suppliers who do not export, packing, customs, trade fairs, industrial auctions.
Other destinations
Country pages with the same facts for the other countries we ship to.
Something to ship from Germany?
Tell us what needs shipping, where it is now and where it is going. A photo or a catalogue link helps. You receive a personal quote by email from the person who will handle your shipment.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will reply by email within one working day.
Or message us directly on Telegram:
BFF Logistics is the international shipping service of BFF Business Services GmbH (HRB 209217, Amtsgericht Hannover). We run Mail Boxes Etc. centre 0051 in Hannover, which is why our email address ends in @mbe.de.
Your contact: Michael Leikine, Managing Director. We reply within one working day, in your language: write to us in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese or Arabic.
Günther-Wagner-Allee 13-17, 30177 Hannover, Germany.