Planning a move from the UK to South Africa? With over 27 years of experience, 1st Move International is one of the UK’s leading international removals companies, offering a faster, safer, and more reliable way to relocate. Our unbeatable packing and palletisation system ensures maximum protection for your belongings, while our daily nationwide collections and door-to-door service make the process seamless from start to finish. Every move is managed by a dedicated expert, guiding you through customs clearance and every other detail for a smooth, stress-free move to South Africa.
Get a free moving quote here or continue reading to find out everything you need to know about moving overseas from the UK to South Africa.
Arrive up to 14 weeks faster than other movers. We use consolidated shipping services to guarantee weekly departures from the UK to South Africa. With 1st Move International, you're never left waiting for a container to be full before your belongings depart.
Our unique packing & palletisation ensures top-level security for your overseas move. All items are carefully packed and stacked to your own individual pallets, minimising handling, reducing insurance claims and maximising the safety and security of your belongings.
Thanks to the way that we pack, we can measure your shipment precisely, providing full transparency in our pricing and ensuring that you only pay for exactly what you ship. Say goodbye to rough estimates.
As a BAR member, our company has been rigorously vetted and subject to regular audits to ensure we meet their strict quality guidelines, including financial stability, full regulatory compliance, and adhering to the BAR's strict code of practice when dealing with our customers and all aspects of relocating their goods worldwide.
Perfect for smaller moves, our shared container service is the most cost-effective and efficient solution for those shipping anything less than the contents of a 2-3 bedroom home. This service allows you to share container space with other packing, and makes full use of our unbeatable packing and palletisation to ensure maximum protection for your personal belongings.
Shared containing shipping costs to South Africa start from £480 for just a few boxes and bags up to £2,000 - £3,000 for a 2-3 bed house move. This is a weekly service with a transit time 25 - 30 days. There will be additional costs for packing, shipment protection and onward delivery to your door in South Africa.
Full Container is the best option for larger moves and gives you exclusive use of your own 20ft or 40ft container. Tailored for those shipping the full contents of anything larger than a 3 bedroom home. With full container, you benefit from full control and flexibility of having your own container to ship your household belongings to South Africa.
The cost for shipping a full container to South Africa is £3,200 for a 20ft container and £5,300 for a 40ft container. There will be additional costs for packing/loading, shipment cover and delivery to your door.
On average, the cost of removals to South Africa from the UK starts from £680 for a small move via shared container, £3,150 for a 3-bed house move and from £6,400 for a 5-bed house move. See our detailed table below for more information, or simply request a quote to receive a tailored, all-inclusive estimate.
| Destination | Shared Container | 20ft Container | 40ft Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town, South Africa | From £992 | £1,550 | £2,450 |
| Durban, South Africa | From £992 | £1,550 | £2,450 |
The above costs should only be used as guide only. Prices shown are port to port freight costs. They do not include UK collection, packing costs or insurance costs. To receive an accurate quote based on your specific moving requirements to South Africa simply request a quick quote.
Here’s what our industry-leading palletised system looks like once your belongings are packed, wrapped, and ready to sail.
This isn’t just packing
It's protection.
It's speed.
It's door-to-door peace of mind.
Take the guesswork out of your move to South Africa and get there up to 14 weeks faster than other movers.
We use established commercial routes for faster, more reliable, and more regular shipping so we don’t need to wait months to fill our containers. This means we're the only UK mover who can tell you exactly when your belongings will ship, and the only mover who publishes a weekly sailing schedules to South Africa online (you can Google that).
View our latest timetable below and choose a sailing date that suits you, not your mover!
| Destination | Vessel Name | Last Moving Date to Meet Vessel | Sailing Date | Port to Port Transit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | MSC Carole | 23/07/2025 | 06/08/2025 | 32 |
| MSC Alanya | 30/07/2025 | 13/08/2025 | 32 | |
| MSC Bianca | 06/08/2025 | 20/08/2025 | 32 | |
| MSC Eugenia | 13/08/2025 | 27/08/2025 | 32 | |
| Durban | MSC Carole | 23/07/2025 | 06/08/2025 | 28 |
| MSC Alanya | 30/07/2025 | 13/08/2025 | 28 | |
| MSC Bianca | 06/08/2025 | 20/08/2025 | 28 | |
| MSC Eugenia | 13/08/2025 | 27/08/2025 | 28 | |
| Port Elizabeth | MSC Carole | 23/07/2025 | 06/08/2025 | 25 |
| MSC Alanya | 30/07/2025 | 13/08/2025 | 25 | |
| MSC Bianca | 06/08/2025 | 20/08/2025 | 25 | |
| MSC Eugenia | 13/08/2025 | 27/08/2025 | 25 |
Michael
London to Cape Town, South AfricaYour chaps turned up dead on time this morning and very efficiently loaded up all our boxes. I must say we have been very impressed with your firm. You have been proactive in guiding us through all that was needed and this is so much appreciated. Thanks to all.
Philip
London to Durban, South AfricaGreat service, great communication and excellent packaging. Shipped some household items from UK to South Africa within 8 weeks from collection to door delivery. Would recommend 1st Move to everyone.
If you're thinking of moving to South Africa then you may have a lot of questions about the international removals process (and everything else!). Below we've compiled some of our most frequently asked questions and answers to them.
What's in This FAQ?
Here are the moving and shipping costs from the UK to South Africa.
These costs are for budget purposes only. The final price of your move to South Africa will depend on factors such as how much you are shipping, the value of your belongings (for insurance purposes), your collection and final destination in South Africa. To receive an accurate estimate that is tailored to your move, please ask us for a free quote.
Most shipments to South Africa take between 25 and 42 days port-to-port, depending on your exact destination.
Here are the port-to-port container shipping times from London Gateway Port to the main arrival ports in South Africa:
Check out our weekly South Africa shipping schedule for more information.
Whether you're heading to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, or Port Elizabeth, we’ve got every corner of South Africa covered. Our international removals service extends across all nine provinces, including the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and the Northern Cape.
Wherever your destination, we’ve got you covered.
Yes, we offer a 10% early booking discount if you book within 10 days of receiving your removals quote. Booking your move early allows us to better plan our collection services and streamline our packing teams for maximum efficiency, allowing us to pass these savings onto you.
You can book your move up to 12 months in advance and this offer is available to all our customers who book their move to South Africa within 10 days of receiving their quote.
To get the ball rolling, simply Book your move in less than 60 seconds here. No deposit, no cancellation fee.
Yes, we take care of the customs formalities on your behalf. We have approved customs agents in every arrival port. They are there to guide you through the customs process and make sure that all customs documentation is completed correctly and BEFORE your goods arrive in South Africa.
Please see our South Africa customs guide for full information on the required paperwork and customs procedures for shipping to South Africa.
All documents and forms can be securely uploaded via our document transfer page.
In most cases, no. If you’re moving permanently and the items are not new, household goods can enter South Africa duty-free. If you’re unsure, chat with your dedicated move manager, and we'll help ensure everything is documented correctly to avoid unnecessary fees. For more information about duties and taxes see our South Africa Customs guide.
When moving to South Africa, you can bring most personal and household items without issue. However, some items are strictly prohibited, such as illegal drugs, automatic weapons, explosives, fireworks, and goods made in prisons. Certain other items—like plants, stamp collections, and gold coins—are restricted and may only be allowed in under specific conditions. To avoid problems with Customs, it's important to send us your packed inventory as early as possible after booking. For full details, you can also check the South African Revenue Service website.
You can ship most UK electrical items to South Africa, as both countries use the same voltage and frequency, however you will need adapters as the plugs do differ in South Africa. For more information, please visit our page on shipping electrical goods from the UK to South Africa.
Yes! Once your shipment is in the container and loaded to the vessel, you will receive a tracking number. This will allow you to monitor the progress of your shipment online using our container tracking tool and stay informed about its estimated arrival time.
Yes, you can ship your car to South Africa using our sister company, Autoshippers. We specialise in shipping all types of vehicles overseas from the UK, including classic cars, motorhomes, and motorbikes. Speak to our team for more information about how to arrange car shipping alongside your household belongings.
We know the logistics are just one piece of the puzzle. Here are some of the most useful resources we recommend for anyone planning a move from the UK to South Africa: