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✈️ Air Freight

China to Johannesburg Air Freight (Duty Paid)

Door-to-door transit 5-10 business days. Duty and final delivery are inside the published rate.

Shipping from China to South Africa
Air freight — China to South Africa

Air Freight from China to Johannesburg starts at USD 17.7 per kilogram, with door-to-door transit of 5-10 business days. A 100 kg shipment works out at roughly USD 1,769 on that rate — indicative freight only. Duty and tax raised by the destination customs authority depend on what you are shipping and are quoted separately.

Rate from
USD 17.7/kg
Transit time
5-10 business days
Destination
Johannesburg, South Africa
Customs authority
the destination customs authority
Duty-free threshold
ZAR 500

Indicative published channel rate for planning, not a quotation. What you actually pay depends on the product and its HS code, chargeable weight, declared value, duty and tax at destination and the exchange rate on the day — it can come in above or below this.

Current Freight Rates

Last updated: 2026-11-05
USD per KG
Weight Rate (USD / KG)
21 KG USD 28.79
22 KG USD 28.70
23 KG USD 28.92
30 KG USD 28.43
50 KG USD 28.06
100 KG USD 27.50
150 KG USD 24.09
200 KG USD 24.00
505 KG USD 18.88
850 KG USD 18.93
1700 KG USD 17.40
2500 KG USD 17.38
3400 KG USD 17.14

How these prices are calculated — chargeable weight

Freight is not billed on the number on your bathroom scale. It is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Denser cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on the space it occupies. Whichever is higher is the one you pay — never the lower.

  • One cubic meter = 167 kg. That is 1,000,000 cm³ ÷ 6000, the same divisor used for the volumetric check, so both sides of this page agree with each other.
  • Per-kilogram channels. The rate is multiplied by chargeable weight, rounded up to the next whole kilogram. A 300 kg consignment that only measures out to a smaller volumetric figure is still charged on its 300 kg actual weight.
  • Freight only. These are published freight rates. Duty, tax and customs charges at destination are not a fixed number we can print: they follow your product's HS code, its declared value and the exchange rate applied on the day of entry, so they are confirmed against your actual goods and quoted separately.
  • Indicative only — the real price can be higher or lower. Nothing on this page is a quotation or a commitment. What you finally pay depends on what the product is, how it is packed, the chargeable weight, the declared value, the destination duty position and the exchange rate at the time. Send the product details, weight and dimensions and we will price your specific shipment.
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more — see which costs sit with us and which sit with you

The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to South Africa is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.

  • Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
  • Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
  • Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.
Responsibility for each shipment stage under each Incoterms rule
Term 1 Loading on truck 2 Export customs declaration 3 Carriage to port of export 4 Unloading at port of export 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft 6 Main carriage 7 Cargo insurance 8 Unloading at port of import 9 Loading on truck at import 10 Carriage to destination 11 Import customs clearance 12 Import duties & taxes
EXW Ex Works Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FCA Free Carrier Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FAS Free Alongside Ship Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FOB Free On Board Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Buyer Buyer — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CFR Cost and Freight Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Seller Seller — Cargo insurance Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CPT Carriage Paid To Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Seller Seller — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAP Delivered At Place Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DDP Delivered Duty Paid Seller Seller — Loading on truck Seller Seller — Export customs declaration Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft Seller Seller — Main carriage Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import Seller Seller — Carriage to destination Seller Seller — Import customs clearance Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes

EXW Ex Works

Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.

FCA Free Carrier

Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.

FAS Free Alongside Ship

Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.

FOB Free On Board

Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.

CFR Cost and Freight

Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.

CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight

As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).

CPT Carriage Paid To

Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.

CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid

As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.

DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)

Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.

DAP Delivered At Place

Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.

DDP Delivered Duty Paid

Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.

Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.

Service Details

At a Glance

For shippers sending goods from China to Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa, Air DDP Cleared offers an air freight option with door delivery. This is a Delivered Duty Paid service: we settle South Africa customs duty and import tax for you, and your consignee pays nothing on arrival.

  • Ships from: Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Yiwu
  • Delivers to: Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa
  • Terms: duty-paid (duty and tax included)
  • Chargeable weight: greater of gross kg or L×W×H (cm) ÷ 6000
  • Prices quoted in USD

Suited to general cargo with no batteries, liquids, powders or third-party branding.

Every consignment on this service is measured as well as weighed. Volumetric weight is L×W×H in centimetres divided by 6000 — one cubic meter counted as roughly 166.7 kg — and whichever figure is higher is the one charged. Dense cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on its volume, and repacking to raise density is often the cheapest saving available on a South Africa shipment.

Typical cargo on this route: compressors (HS 84), where clearance turns on cE marking to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC with a signed declaration of conformity, ceramic tableware (HS 69 / 70) and fabric (HS 50–63 / 64 / 42). If yours is on that list the commodity page is worth two minutes — it covers how the goods should leave the factory, how they should sit in the container, and the failure mode we see most often on this kind of freight.

To see this tariff against a real consignment rather than a rate card, the 10 KG, 21 KG, 50 KG and 100 KG pages run it at a fixed weight and show the landed total, including the point where stepping up a bracket lowers your cost per kilo. They are the fastest way to check whether consolidating two orders into one is worth the wait.

South Africa air cargo on this service routes through JNB (Johannesburg), CPT (Cape Town) and DUR. Where more than one gateway is listed the booked one depends on space on the day; the rate is the same either way, but the inland delivery leg beyond the airport is not.

The table above prices the lane, but most buyers arrive with a consignment already in mind. If yours has a known weight, the 10 KG, 21 KG, 50 KG and 100 KG breakdowns run this tariff against a fixed shipment so you see a landed number rather than a rate per kilo, and the China to South Africa Air Freight Cost page sets every channel we run on this lane side by side. For the wider picture including documentation and duty, start from shipping from China to South Africa.

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Additional Information

Paperwork Checklist

  • Commercial invoice with unit values in USD
  • Packing list with carton count, weights and dimensions
  • HS code for each product line
  • Consignee name, full address, postal code and phone number

Send documents before the goods reach our warehouse and the booking usually goes out on the next departure.

Where these numbers come from

Treat the landed-cost numbers here as a planning baseline. South African Revenue Service — Customs sets the rate that actually gets charged, assessed against your HS classification at the moment of clearance, so their own guidance is worth reading before a large order.

If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.

On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.

On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.

If this is your first shipment into South Africa, the South Africa Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.

China to South Africa — Shipping Reference Data

Main air gatewaysJNB (Johannesburg), CPT (Cape Town), DUR
Destination customs authoritySouth African Revenue Service (SARS)
De-minimis / duty-free thresholdZAR 500
Import tax & duty regimeVAT 15%; duty 0–45% by tariff heading
Local currencyZAR
Typical clearance / dwell time5–10 days
Peak / busy seasonOct–Dec
Conformity & certificationNRCS letter of authority for regulated goods

Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.

Free 3D Loading Tools for This Air Route

This page covers a Air freight service from China to South Africa. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.

3D Carton Packing Calculator

Dimensional weight often decides the final air rate to South Africa. Simulate your carton fill in 3D, including mixed products in one box, and export the packing plan for your supplier.

Open Packing Tool →

South Africa Air Freight Checklist

  • Compare volumetric weight (L×W×H÷6000) with actual weight — the higher one is billed.
  • Lithium batteries and liquids need pre-approval on most air routes — declare them upfront.
  • Shrink-wrap and corner-protect cartons — air cargo is transloaded multiple times.
  • Book 2-3 days before your target ETD; same-day air bookings usually carry premium rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Air DDP Cleared from China to South Africa take?

Air freight on this route runs about 5–10 business days door-to-door, plus roughly 5–10 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.

What duties and taxes apply when importing into South Africa?

Clearance is handled by South African Revenue Service (SARS). The regime is: VAT 15%; duty 0–45% by tariff heading, with a de-minimis position of ZAR 500. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.

What does DDP shipping to South Africa include on this route?

DDP means we quote the freight, the customs entry with South African Revenue Service (SARS) and last-mile delivery in South Africa together, so you settle once. The duty and tax portion depends on your product's HS code, declared value and the exchange rate at entry, so it is confirmed against your actual goods — the figures on this page are indicative and can move either way.

What certification is needed to import into South Africa?

For regulated goods, plan for: NRCS letter of authority for regulated goods. Missing conformity paperwork is the most common clearance hold with South African Revenue Service (SARS), so confirm requirements for your HS code before shipping.

In what currency is this route priced and paid?

Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is ZAR. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.

How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000, so one cubic meter counts as about 166.7 kg) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above. A 300 kg consignment measuring out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg.

Historical Price Records

All price updates are recorded here. Use the weekly tabs to browse older entries.

Date 21-1001013015011001
2026-11-05Latest USD 28.79USD 24.13USD 22.20USD 18.83USD 17.27
2026-11-04 USD 28.78USD 24.12USD 22.19USD 18.82USD 17.26
2026-10-24 USD 28.77USD 24.11USD 22.18USD 18.82USD 17.26
2026-10-16 USD 28.77USD 24.11USD 22.18USD 18.81USD 17.26
2026-10-10 USD 28.76USD 24.11USD 22.18USD 18.81USD 17.26
2026-09-30 USD 28.76USD 24.10USD 22.17USD 18.81USD 17.26
2026-09-30 USD 28.77USD 24.11USD 22.18USD 18.82USD 17.26
2026-09-30 USD 28.75USD 24.09USD 22.16USD 18.80USD 17.25
2026-09-17 USD 28.73USD 24.08USD 22.15USD 18.79USD 17.23
2026-09-15 USD 28.68USD 24.03USD 22.11USD 18.75USD 17.20
2026-09-15 USD 27.65USD 23.13USD 21.27USD 18.04USD 16.55
2026-09-07 USD 27.10USD 22.58USD 20.71USD 17.48USD 15.99
2026-08-31 USD 27.10USD 22.57USD 20.71USD 17.48USD 15.99
2026-08-17 USD 27.08USD 22.56USD 20.70USD 17.46USD 15.98
2026-08-17 USD 27.12USD 22.60USD 20.74USD 17.51USD 16.02
2026-08-06 USD 27.12USD 22.60USD 20.74USD 17.50USD 16.02
2026-08-03 USD 27.13USD 22.60USD 20.74USD 17.51USD 16.02
2026-07-30 USD 27.12USD 22.60USD 20.74USD 17.50USD 16.02
2026-07-20 USD 27.15USD 22.63USD 20.76USD 17.53USD 16.04
2026-07-17 USD 26.90USD 22.41USD 20.56USD 17.36USD 15.89
2026-07-14 USD 26.89USD 22.39USD 20.55USD 17.35USD 15.87
2026-07-07 USD 26.86USD 22.37USD 20.53USD 17.32USD 15.85
2026-07-03 USD 26.88USD 22.38USD 20.54USD 17.34USD 15.86
2026-07-02 USD 26.86USD 22.37USD 20.53USD 17.32USD 15.85
2026-06-30 USD 26.87USD 22.38USD 20.53USD 17.33USD 15.86
2026-06-23 USD 26.86USD 22.37USD 20.52USD 17.32USD 15.85
2026-06-15 USD 26.89USD 22.40USD 20.55USD 17.35USD 15.88
2026-06-08 USD 26.89USD 22.40USD 20.55USD 17.35USD 15.87
2026-05-19 USD 26.85USD 22.35USD 20.51USD 17.31USD 15.83
2026-05-14 USD 26.85USD 22.35USD 20.51USD 17.31USD 15.83
2026-05-04 USD 26.71USD 22.22USD 20.37USD 17.17USD 15.69
2025-12-29 USD 26.71————

Price Trend

Shipping South Africa cargo by industry

This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.

All 60 industry guides →

China Ocean Freight

About China Ocean Freight

China Ocean Freight is a China-based freight forwarder for importers who buy from Chinese factories. We handle the whole move: pickup from your supplier, warehouse consolidation, export customs, the main sea, air or rail leg, import clearance and delivery to your door.

On this lane we book space on scheduled freighters and belly cargo out of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, then hand over to our clearance partner in South Africa for delivery.

  • One coordinator owns your shipment from booking to delivery
  • Prices taken from current carrier tariffs, not index averages
  • Supplier pickup, inspection, repacking and labeling in China
  • DDP or DAP terms, with every charge stated before you book

More about us → Talk to our team

Get a quote — South Africa

Send the cargo details below and we price your actual shipment. Weight, dimensions and what the goods are is everything we need to come back with a firm number.

Answer these and you get a real price, not a range. These are the exact figures a carrier needs before it will quote. Fill them in once and we can price your cargo the same day — leave them out and we have to come back and ask, which is what turns an hour into a week.

kg
ctn
Carton sizeoptional
× × cm
m³
ctr
Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.
Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorized to ship.
Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.
Why these three decide everything

They determine whether your cargo can fly, and on which service. A declared battery changes the price; an undeclared one grounds the shipment at the airport and you pay storage while it sits. Unauthorized brands are seized at customs and the freight is lost with them. Magnetic goods need a field test — routine, but it has to be booked ahead. Telling us now costs a click; telling us later costs the shipment.

Sea or air?*
Tick both and we quote both.
When should it move?optional
Photographs of the goodsoptional
    Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

    Customs clearance in South Africa

    Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

    South Africa clearance requirements →

    Have cargo ready in China?

    Tell us what it is, how much and where it goes. We reply with routing options and a landed-cost quote within one business day.

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