Rapple Logistics – international freight forwarding and customs clearance
Aerial view of a fully loaded container ship at sea

Ocean freight

Sea freight imports and exports for South Africa

Full containers and part loads from Europe, Asia, the UK and the Americas into Cape Town and Durban, and exports worldwide, on a door-to-door or port-to-port basis.

Own licensed customs team GLN platinum member Trading since 2014

Full containers and part loads

One file from the supplier’s factory to your loading bay. We book direct with the lines and work with origin agents who answer the phone.

Commercial cargo, vehicles or samples for shows: our ocean carriers meet the deadlines of your shipping schedule.

FCL – full container load20GP, 40GP and 40HC, door-to-door or port-to-port.
LCL – groupagePay for the space you use. No need to fill a container.
ReeferTemperature controlled for food, cosmetics and sensitive goods.
RORO and breakbulkVehicles, machinery and cargo that will not fit in a box.

We book with more than a dozen ocean carriers through our agent network, so you get a wide choice of weekly sailings and rates.

Ports we work through

Cape Town and Durban mainly, with Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Ngqura when it suits the routing. We tell you honestly which port lands cheaper for your delivery address rather than defaulting to the one nearest us.

What it costs

Sea freight is quoted as a landed cost: ocean freight, origin charges, terminal handling, customs duty, VAT, agency and delivery. One figure, itemised, so you can price your goods before the container sails.

How long it takes

  • Far East to Cape Town: roughly 28 to 38 days on the water
  • Northern Europe to Cape Town: roughly 18 to 25 days
  • Add three to seven days for clearing and delivery once discharged, if there is no customs stop

Those are honest ranges, not sales numbers. Blank sailings and port congestion move them, and we tell you the day we hear about it.

Choosing a box? See the shipping container specifications. Unsure who pays for what? Read Incoterms 2020 explained. Every sea shipment is cleared by our own customs clearing team.

Know your landed cost before you order

Freight, duty, VAT and delivery in one written figure. Usually within one working day.