Importing and customs clearing questions

It is the true cost of the goods on your shelf: the supplier invoice, the freight, the duty, the VAT, the port and handling charges and the delivery. Most quotes only cover the freight, so the bill at the end is a shock. We give you the whole number up front.

Fill in the quote form with whatever you have. If you do not know the tariff heading or the Incoterm, leave them blank. That is our job, not yours. A controller replies inside one working day.

You do, as the importer of record, but we pay it over to SARS on your behalf so the entry is not held up, and invoice it to you with the entry attached.

If you are VAT registered and the goods are for your business, import VAT is normally an input credit. Your accountant will confirm it for your situation. We make sure you have the documents SARS wants to see.

We can arrange marine cargo insurance. If your supplier sells CIF they have insured it, but usually only to the minimum Institute Cargo Clause (C) cover, which would not make you whole. Ask us before you assume you are covered.

If the documents are correct and there is no stop, an entry is usually cleared within a day of the vessel or flight being discharged, and we lodge on the SARS EDI system so clearance can happen before arrival. A customs or port health stop adds anywhere from two days to two weeks. You see it on your portal the moment it happens.

Yes. SARS requires an importer code. If you do not have one we walk you through the application. It takes a few weeks, so start before the goods ship.

We attend the examination in person, push for the release and keep your portal updated as it moves. Most stops clear in two to five working days. Port health referrals on foodstuffs usually run longer.

Yes. Rapple Logistics is a licensed and accredited customs clearing agent with its own customs compliance team in Cape Town.

Yes. Part loads by sea (LCL) and airfreight consolidations mean you do not have to fill a container to import.

Yes. We deal with the factory, the origin agent and the shipping line so you deal with one company. Our partner networks give us agents in over 130 countries.

Yes, including cross border road exports into the SADC region, with export entries and removals in bond handled by the same desk.

Yes. Our food grade certified warehouse in Brackenfell, Cape Town offers short- and long-term storage, container stuffing and destuffing, computerised stock control and local delivery, on average within 24 hours.

A 20' standard holds about 33 cubic metres and a 40' high cube about 76. Our container specifications page lists inside dimensions, door openings, tare and payload for every type. The figures are an indication only, so tell us the cargo and we will confirm.

Log in to the client portal, or type your waybill, container or reference number into the track box on our home page. The portal shows every stage from booking to proof of delivery.

Nothing. Every client gets a login as part of the service, and you can have more than one login per company.

Complete the online account application on our website. If you are already a client and need a portal login for your team, email info@rapplelogistics.co.za and we set it up the same day.

Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:30. We are closed on weekends and public holidays.