By Alize Scholtz

Just imagine: You are on your way to South Africa after a pleasant holiday abroad. You are tired after the long flight and pine for your own bed. The last thing you want to face now is a confrontation with customs officers. You do not want to return home with bags full of prohibited items that will cost you dearly – not to mention the anxiety or humiliation that such a situation can cause. You do not want to find yourself in a situation of which you cannot make head or tail.

Luckily, Afriforum Worldwide is here to help you to stay on the right side of the law.

It is the duty of custom services to ensure legal commerce. They help to protect the economy and society against harmful and illegal goods. All travellers who enter South Africa must go through a customs process and submit an online traveller’s declaration. This applies to everyone, no matter your nationality, age or purpose of your visit. Our customs regulations are determined and enforced by the South African Revenue Service, who requires that taxable goods are reported verbally as well as in writing. You can even do it here online.

We provide a cursory overview of basic customs rules to keep in mind when you arrive in or leave South Africa to keep you from getting into trouble.

Entering South Africa

It is important to take note of what you as South African citizen or your loved ones should avoid and/or declare when entering South Africa.  

Prohibited items that may not be taken into South Africa

• narcotics and habit-forming substances like heroin, cocaine and marijuana
• poisons or toxic substances
• any goods made by prisoners in jails
• counterfeit goods that contain illegal copies of commercial descriptions or logos  
• illegal reproductions or any pieces that are subject to copyright, for example movies and music
• illegal weapons, unlicenced firearms, ammunition, fireworks and explosives
• cigarettes that weigh more than 2 kg per 1 000 units

Limited items that must be declared and for which a permit is required  

• firearms and other weapons
• gold coins
• South African bank notes of more than R25 000, as well as coin and stamp collections
• raw minerals and gem stones (like gold and diamonds)
• species of plants and animals that are classified as endangered (either alive or dead), including any parts thereof or articles made of these
• medicine (excluding sufficient supply of three months for own treatment, and then accompanied by a letter or certified prescription from a certified doctor)
• herbal products (a permit is required from the Department of Health)

Tax-free items

• personal possessions
• perfume (50 ml per person) and eau de toilette (250 ml per person)
• cigarettes (200 per person)
• cigars (20 per person)
• pipe tobacco (250 g per person)
• wine (two litres per person older than 18 years)
• alcoholic drinks (one litre per person older than 18 years)
• new or used goods with a total value of no more than R5 000 per person

If the total value of goods is more than R5 000 per person but less than a total value of R20 000, customs tax may be claimed. Keep in mind that certain goods can be subject to rates of more than 20%; in other cases, the tariffs may be lower, while certain goods may be exempted from tax. Click here to make sense of these formulas.

Good advice

Provide customs officials with complete details of the goods that you want to declare. Keep all your invoices, proofs of payments, transport documents, letters of authorisation and permits at hand. Answer the custom official’s questions in detail and honestly. They may also request you to open your possessions for inspection – always give your cooperation. Lastly, they can ask you to pay the calculated tax. If you fail to comply with these prescriptions, you may end up with a fine, your goods may be confiscated, or you can be prosecuted.

When leaving South Africa

When you as a South African citizen leave South Africa, you have to declare valuables such as jewellery, watches, cameras, video cameras and laptops. In this way you can avoid any problems when you return with these to South Africa. You have to declare it verbally and in writing to the customs officer before you hand in your luggage at the airline counter. The officer will update the information online and provide you with a copy, which you have to keep at hand upon returning to South Africa.   

If you are a foreigner, you can claim value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods that you bought during your visit in South Africa. Click here to read more.

Foreigners who leave South Africa must do the following:

• Declare the currency in your possession.
• There is no limit on the amount of South African bank notes if you travel to Lesotho, Namibia and eSwatini (previously Swaziland).
• If you travel with a cash amount of more than R25 000 (in South African rands) pre-authorisation by the South African Reserve Bank is a prerequisite.

The following goods may not be taken out of the country, unless special permits have been obtained from the relevant state department(s):

• human bodies or body parts
• meat and edible portions of cattle, sheep, goats or pigs
• meat and edible animal scraps that are salted, cured, dried or smoked
• edible flour or flour from meat or meat scraps
• cane sugar or beet sugar, and chemically purified sucrose in solid form
• untanned skins and hides
• bank notes to the value of more than R25 0000 or foreign currency of more than R25 000 in rand value (this requires written approval from the South African Revenue Service)

Last thoughts

It can make a huge difference to do some homework before you start your travels. It is advisable to visit a customs office in South Africa if you are unsure about what to declare upon your return. Visit your nearest South African embassy abroad before returning to South Africa.  

Do not allow these musts and must nots to sink your travel plans. Pack your suitcases and go! It does not matter where in the world you find yourself – AfriForum Worldwide is the best home from home for our people. Contact us and share your adventures with us; we would like to hear from you!  

Handy links

SARS Travellers Guide – Customs requirements when entering and leaving South Africa

SARS Travellers Leaflet

Customs Information

Frequently Asked Questions – South African Traveller Declaration System

Webinaar oor Suid-Afrikaanse Reisigersverklaring

SARS – Traveller Declaration

Photo by Unsplash – American Green Travel