How importing from South Africa works
You tell us about the car and hand over the keys. Everything between the truck in South Africa and the plates in the UK is ours to organise.
Seven stages, one team
The latitude down the side is where your car is at each stage. It goes south to Cape Town first, then spends 4 to 6 weeks heading north.
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Collected from your door
Anywhere in South Africa. We book the truck to the port, so you are not driving it to Cape Town yourself.
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Loaded at Cape Town
Usually into a shared container with other cars we are bringing over, which is what keeps the cost down. Export clearance happens here.
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4 to 6 weeks at sea
Insured for the voyage. You can follow progress in our customer portal rather than chasing anyone for updates.
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Landed in the UK
The container comes off the ship at a UK port and is brought straight to our site, not left waiting on the quay.
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Customs, unloading and prep
Our own HMRC CDS agents clear it. We unload it ourselves, then do the speedo and any lighting work in our workshop.
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Tested on our own lane
IVA for cars under ten years old, MOT for older ones. Ours was the first privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK, so there is no wait for a government slot.
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Registered and on the road
Our dealer-level DVLA account means registration in around 10 working days. Collect it, or we deliver it.
What you do, and what we do
What you do
- Fill in the quote form and tell us about the car
- Accept the quote and send us copies of your documents
- Settle any finance so the registration papers are released
- Arrange the police clearance appointment (we tell you how)
- Hand over the car, keys and original documents on collection day
- Pay the duty and VAT figure our customs team gives you
What we do
- Book the truck from your address to the port
- Export clearance through our agents in South Africa
- Shipping, container loading and marine insurance
- UK customs entry by our own HMRC CDS agents
- Unloading at our own site, not on a busy quay
- Speedo, lighting and any prep in our workshop
- IVA or MOT on our own test lane
- DVLA registration, plates, then collection or delivery
Why doing it all on one site matters
Most delays in an import happen at the handovers: waiting at the port, waiting for a test slot, waiting for someone else's paperwork. We remove as many handovers as we can.
Our own customs agents make the entry. The container is unloaded on our site, with as much time and care as it takes. The workshop is next door to the test lane, and ours was the first privately owned IVA testing centre for passenger vehicles in the UK. We test every week, so your car is not waiting for a government slot.
Then our dealer-level DVLA account gets the car registered in around 10 working days. That is time and money saved for you.
How long each part usually takes
Typical ranges, not promises. Your quote gives dates for your car, and the timeline estimator lets you play with the variables.
| Stage | Typical time | What can change it |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork in South Africa | 0-2 weeks | Finance to settle, police clearance appointment |
| Road to the port | 0-2 weeks | Distance from Cape Town |
| Export clearance and loading | 1-2 weeks | Sailing dates, filling a shared container |
| At sea | 4-6 weeks | The vessel, the route and any transshipment |
| UK customs and unloading | About 1 week | Whether a ToR approval is already in place |
| Prep and test | 1-2 weeks | IVA or MOT, and any parts needed |
| DVLA registration | ~10 working days | Documents complete first time |
Add the stages up and it comes to roughly 10 to 17 weeks from go-ahead to UK plates, with the top of that range assuming every stage runs slow.
Process questions
Do I need to be in South Africa when the car is collected?
No. Many people have already moved by the time their car is collected. A friend, family member or the dealer you bought from can hand it over with the keys and documents.
Can I follow where my car is?
Yes. Our customer portal shows each stage and the expected dates, so you are not left wondering where the ship has got to.
What if the car needs more work than expected?
We tell you before we do anything that is not in your quote. Most South African cars need very little, because they are already right-hand drive with headlights that dip the right way.
Can you deliver the car to my door in the UK?
Yes, on an open or enclosed transporter. You can also collect it from us in Castle Donington once it is registered.
Tell us about the car and we will price the whole import
Collection, shipping, customs, testing and registration, itemised in one quote. A person here writes it, and nothing is charged until you say go.
Ringing from South Africa? +44 1332 810442