Ship Furniture Internationally from South Africa

JLog is a specialist furniture logistics company based in Cape Town. We ship furniture internationally from South Africa for designers, retailers, and private clients — with custom crating, white-glove handling, and full customs clearance to 220+ countries.

Pierre Cronje Official Carrier
Kino Logistics Partner
DHL Express Partner
SARS Licensed Broker

How We Ship Furniture Internationally from South Africa

From a single handcrafted dining table to a full container of showroom inventory, we handle every step from workshop to living room — anywhere in the world.

Custom Crating

Every piece of furniture is measured and crated individually. Marine-grade plywood, foam-lined interiors, corner protectors, and ISPM-15 heat-treated timber for international compliance.

Air Freight

Express shipping in 3–7 days to any major city worldwide. Ideal for single high-value pieces, urgent deliveries, and items where speed matters more than cost. FedEx and DHL certified routes.

Sea Freight

Cost-effective shipping for large pieces and bulk orders. LCL (shared container) or FCL (full container) from Cape Town port. 3–6 weeks depending on destination.

Customs Clearance

HS Chapter 94 classification for all furniture types. SARS-licensed customs broker handling export declarations, certificates of origin, and destination-side import clearance.

Disassembly & Reassembly

We disassemble furniture before crating and reassemble at destination. All hardware labelled and bagged. Photo documentation at every step for complex pieces.

White-Glove Delivery

Room-of-choice placement, unpacking, assembly, and packaging removal at the destination. Two-person trained crew with blanket wrapping and floor protection.

Air Freight vs Sea Freight for Furniture

✈ Air Freight Fast

  • 3–7 business days to most destinations
  • Ideal for single pieces or urgent orders
  • Door-to-door with full tracking
  • Departs from OR Tambo or Cape Town International
  • Charged by volumetric weight (L×W×H / 5000)
  • Higher cost per kg, best for items under 200kg

🚢 Sea Freight Economical

  • 3–6 weeks depending on destination
  • Best for multiple pieces or full collections
  • LCL (shared) or FCL (full container) options
  • Departs from Cape Town Container Terminal
  • Charged by cubic metre (1 CBM = 1,000kg)
  • Lower cost per item, minimum charge ~1 CBM

Not sure which is right? We'll recommend the most cost-effective option based on your furniture dimensions, weight, destination, and timeline.

Customs for Furniture Exports

Furniture falls under HS Chapter 94 in the Harmonized System. The specific subheading depends on the material and type — wooden furniture (9403.30–9403.60), metal furniture (9403.20), upholstered seating (9401.61), and mattresses (9404) all have different duty rates at destination.

From South Africa, we prepare the SAD500 export declaration, commercial invoice with detailed item descriptions, packing list with dimensions and weights, and a certificate of origin where a trade agreement applies. The EU-SADC EPA gives South African furniture preferential access to European markets with reduced or zero duties. AGOA provides similar benefits for the US market.

We handle all SARS submissions electronically and can arrange destination-side customs clearance through our partner network in the UK, EU, US, Australia, and UAE. Import VAT and duties are calculated and communicated before shipping so there are no surprises on arrival.

Common Duty Rates

Indicative import duty rates for SA furniture at destination:

  • EU: 0–5.6% (EU-SADC EPA preferential)
  • UK: 0–3.7% (UK Global Tariff)
  • USA: 0–4% (MFN rate)
  • UAE: 5% (GCC Common Tariff)
  • Australia: 0–5% (standard rate)

Trusted by South Africa's Top Furniture Studios

Pierre Cronje
Kino Furniture

Furniture Shipping Costs from South Africa

Indicative air freight rates. Sea freight is approximately 40–60% less for items over 2 CBM.

DestinationDining Table (2m)Sofa (3-seater)Cabinet / SideboardTransit (Air)
United KingdomR12,000 – R22,000R15,000 – R28,000R10,000 – R20,0005–7 days
United StatesR14,000 – R26,000R18,000 – R32,000R12,000 – R24,0005–7 days
Germany / EUR12,500 – R23,000R16,000 – R30,000R11,000 – R22,0005–7 days
UAER10,000 – R19,000R13,000 – R25,000R9,000 – R18,0003–5 days
AustraliaR15,000 – R28,000R19,000 – R35,000R13,000 – R26,0005–8 days

Prices include custom crating, specialist handling, and export customs. Exclude destination duties, import VAT, and insurance (typically 1–2% of value).

Request a Furniture Shipping Quote

Describe your furniture and destination. We respond within 24 hours with a detailed quote covering crating, freight, customs, and delivery options.

📞

Call Us

+27 21 300 6099

Email

info@jlog.co.za

📍

Workshop

Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550

Estimated range including crating and handling. Insurance and duties quoted separately.

Furniture Shipping Questions

Last Updated: March 2026

Air freight for a single piece typically costs R8,000–R25,000 depending on size and destination. Sea freight starts from R12,000 per cubic metre. Custom crating adds R2,000–R8,000. We provide detailed quotes within 24 hours of receiving dimensions and destination.

Air freight takes 3–7 business days. Sea freight takes 3–6 weeks: approximately 3 weeks to Europe, 4–5 weeks to the US East Coast, and 5–6 weeks to Australia. We provide real-time tracking on all shipments.

Yes. Our team handles full disassembly before crating and reassembly at destination. We document every step with photographs and label all hardware. For complex custom pieces we coordinate directly with the manufacturer.

Furniture is classified under HS Chapter 94. EU duty is typically 0–5.6% under the EU-SADC EPA, US duty is 0–4%, and UK follows the Global Tariff schedule. We calculate exact duties before shipping so there are no surprises.

Absolutely. We ship everything from a single chair to entire showroom collections. No minimum orders. Single pieces travel via air freight in custom crates. Larger shipments can go by sea in shared (LCL) or full containers (FCL).

View all frequently asked questions →

What Our Clients Say

★★★★★
"The client portal changed everything. Our clients can track their own furniture shipments instead of calling us, and the instant quoting saves hours every week. First 3PL that actually understands designer furniture."
TM
Thomas van der Merwe, Furniture Designer
Pierre Cronje • Paarl
Furniture Export

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