Shipping to and from South Africa

Last Updated: 28 October 2025

AMEX

LOC: Africa
Service Code: 40

EUROPE

LOC: Africa
Service Code: 278

JAPAN-CHINA

LOC: Africa

UAE

LOC: Africa
Service Code: 251

UAE

LOC: Africa
Service Code: MW1

Commodity

• Hazardous classes 1, 7 and 9, are all subject to approval before acceptance.
• Used Tyres acceptance subject to legitimate ITAC permit
• No acceptance on DG charcoal
• No acceptance of Asbestos

Weight & Measurement

Specifically for 20’ Containers:

24 TONS Maximum Payload for road haulage (inclusive of container tare weight)

22 TONS Maximum payload for railed containers (exclusive of container tare weight)

Specifically for 40’ Containers:

28 TONS Maximum payload for road haulage (inclusive of container tare weight)

29.4 TONS Maximum payload for railed containers (exclusive of container tare weight)

Overweight containers are subject to a fine imposed by the Government. Requests for movement of overweight cargo can be obtained from your nearest Maersk office.

Effective 1 July 2016 the Shipper (or its representative agent) will be required to include the Verified Gross Mass(VGM) when submitting the pre-advise via NAVIS. The Navis update will update all Maersk systems and no further system updates is required from the Shipper.

Special Cargoes- No restrictions on movement of containers to inland points and are subject to rates supplied by our Intermodal Dept and can be contacted thru your nearest Maersk Customer Service Teams.

Bill of Lading Clauses- No special clauses/restrictions apply.

45' Containers- No acceptance of 45' containers in South Africa.

Customs requirements- Customs documents (Cargo Dues + Bill of entry) are mandatory for Bill of Lading issue.

In lieu of new changes in IMDG Code Amendment 42-24, the following requirements regarding the shipping of Charcoal, will be applicable on all bookings new/amended w.e.f. 1^st October 2025.

Maersk will stop accepting non-DG charcoal bookings.  Only DG charcoal bookings from pre-audited shippers are acceptable subject to below requirements. All Charcoal bookings must obtain loading acceptance with Maersk. Please contact the Local Maersk office for the requirements to obtain pre-audited shipper status.

Charcoal must be declared as DG under,

UN1361/4.2 with Proper Shipping Name as CARBON, animal or vegetable origin:

Carbon of animal or vegetable origin means carbon, generated in a production or manufacturing process, not formed in a geological process and not obtained from mining. Carbon covered by this entry is produced by pyrolysis of an organic material such as bone, bamboo, coconut shell, jute or wood. Black material originating from organic sources. Particularly includes carbon blacks of animal or vegetable origin, other non-activated carbon materials and charcoal.

Circumstances under which we DO NOT accept:

• Charcoal Scrap/small particles/fraction/dust & fines <20mm
• If booked as non-DG
• Wet charcoal/Instant charcoal/Instant grill/Instant BBQ.
• From Vietnam and China, if used for waterpipes / shisha / hookah / Nargila or similar
• In reefer (both live and non-operating)
• If VSA (Partner) policy TC vessel owner (term charter)/ Feeder operator’s policy prohibits

Circumstances under which we accept this commodity: 

• Shipments acceptable only from pre-audited shipper when booked as Dangerous Goods and when consignment is in accordance with IMDG code 42-24 (SP978, packing(P002), marking, Labelling, Placarding, Dangerous Goods Declaration, Overpack, UN approved packing etc....) and 
• If Vacuumable thermal jacket is installed in each CTU confirmed by a vanning surveyor report.

The following documentation are required to obtain loading approval.
Before container release (Haulage)

1. Preliminary Dangerous Goods Declaration
2. Material Safety Data Sheet

Before container Gate-in (Terminal)

1. Final Dangerous Goods Declaration and Packing Certificate
2. Weathering Certificate
3. Vanning Certificate

Packing & Stuffing

Allowed in UN approved Boxes, Bags, Drums and IBC as per P002 packing instructions of IMDG code 42-24. Not allowed in packings of 4H1, 5H1, 5H2, 5L1, 5L2, 5M1. Every shipment of charcoal must be completely vacuum packed with a thermal jacket, provided by the shipper’s preferred Maersk Recommended supplier listed below: 

Details of documents:

1. Material Safety Data Sheet: It must indicate the use of the charcoal and must be from same entity (producer/Manufacturer of Charcoal).
2. Dangerous Goods Declaration and Packing Certificate: as per chapter 5.4 of IMDG code.
3. Weathering: On company letterhead; dated, signed and stamped; to be issued by the manufacturer (real producer of the cargo) with the following:

Dates: Date of issue of cert, date of Production, start and end date of weathering, start and end date of packaging.
Photos: (The photos must be clicked straight and not is any other angle.)
Weathering process, packaging process, temperature of cargo while packaging.
Details: Booking number and container numbers, details of packaging (weight, size, type etc...), Charcoal particle size in mm and type of Charcoal (briquetted or non-briquetted hardwood, coconut shell, palm kernel shell, rice husk, coconut charcoal, sawdust, Shisha, etc...) Confirmation:

• Confirming that after production, the unpacked material was subject to weathering (stored under cover, but in the open air) for a minimum period of 14 days before being packaged for transport. (Under circumstances where manufacturer is unable to achieve a minimum of 14 days of weathering; an approval by the competent authority shall be obtained and submitted along with weathering certificate and a declaration stating reason for not achieving 14 days of weathering).
• Confirming that while the material was packed into packaging the temperature of the material did not exceed 40°C.
4. Vanning Certificate (Vanning survey report is acceptable only from Maersk nominated Surveyors)

Dates: Date of issue of certificate, start and end of Vanning.
Photos: (The photographs must be clicked straight and not at any other angle)

• Container stuffing process, incl. minimum one photo of the cargo without the outer packing.
• Cargo temperature and Ambient temperature photographs of each container.
• Thermal jacket in completely vacuumed condition.
• One door shut photograph such that the commodity stuffed inside the container and container number are clearly visible. (Complete container must be visible along with its border and edges)
• Both doors shut with seal and with visible seal number.
Details: Booking number and container numbers and their seal numbers, details of packaging (weight, size, type etc...), Charcoal particle size in mm and type of Charcoal (briquetted or non-briquetted hardwood, coconut shell, palm kernel shell, rice husk, coconut charcoal, sawdust, Shisha, etc...)

Confirmation:

• Confirming each container with number that it is completely Vacuum packed with a Thermal Jacket supplied by Shipper’s preferred Maersk Recommended Supplier (Supplier name).
• Container is packed, Labelled and placarded in accordance with packing(P002), SP978, chapter 5 of IMDG code 42-24 and CTU packing guide.
• Packings are new, airtight, intact and suitable for the cargo.
• Temperature of cargo is not exceeding ambient temperature by more than 5°C.
• Packaging and interior atmosphere is clean and odourless, no presence of fumes or smoke.

Special Provision 978

1. For the purpose of this Code, carbon of animal or vegetable origin means carbon, generated in a production or manufacturing process, not formed in a geological process and not obtained from mining. Carbon covered by this entry is produced by pyrolysis of an organic material such as bone, bamboo, coconut shell, jute or wood.
2. The UN N.4 test according to section 33.4.6 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria shall not be used to exempt carbon of animal or vegetable origin (UN 1361) from the provisions of this Code.
3. Without testing, the material shall be assigned to at least packing group III.
4. Unless otherwise approved by the competent authority, the following provisions apply:
   
   • after production, the unpacked material shall be subject to weathering (stored under cover, but in the open air) for a minimum period of 14 days before being packaged for transport; or
   • after pyrolysis, steam and cooling shall be applied to the unpacked material and the material shall be packed under an inert gas atmosphere (e.g. nitrogen); packages shall then be stored under loose cover or in the open air for a minimum of 24 hours before transport.
5. The material shall be packed into packaging only when the temperature of the material does not exceed 40 °C on the day of packing.
6. When stowed in a cargo transport unit, minimum headspace in the CTU of 30 cm shall be maintained, and:
• the stowage height of the package(s) in the unit should not exceed 1.5 m; or
• the maximum block size of the packages should be 16 m3 and a minimum of 15 cm of space between blocks should be maintained.

The list below provides links to the latest terminal stack dates on the Transnet Website:

• Cape Town Combi Terminal
• Cape Town container terminal
• Durban container terminal pier 1
• Durban container terminal pier 2
• Ngqura container terminal
• Port Elizabeth container terminal
• Multi-purpose terminal point

Please complete the registration form and send to za.export@maersk.com

Always Safe Never Sorry. While we always do our utmost to take good care of your cargo, things can go wrong. Therefore we are glad to introduce you to our new solution to keep the value of your cargo protected from logistics-related risks. Value Protect provides alternative carriage terms that offer higher recovery limits on claims. At competitive prices and all in a single place.

The Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) is an independent service provider of quality certification and cold chain management services for producers and exporters of perishable food products.

Click to access PPECB

Remote Container Management (RCM) interface turns your reefer container into a digitally connected device capable of transmitting its location, power status, temperature, humidity and air supply

Click to access RCM

New Feature: ETD Change Indicator Now Available on Maersk.com

We are pleased to introduce the ETD Change Indicator on the Shipment Details page at Maersk.com. This enhancement provides customers with real-time visibility when there is a significant change to their shipment schedule.

1. A notification will appear when:
• The Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) for the first vessel (water leg) has changed by 12 hours or more, and
• A revised booking confirmation document has not yet been issued since the change.
2. The notification is accessible to all parties associated with the shipment, ensuring transparency and shared visibility across stakeholders.
3. Users have the option to subscribe to transport plan change notifications directly from this prompt - making it easier to stay up to date with any future schedule adjustments.
4. The notification will not appear if the vessel has already departed, ensuring only relevant and timely information is presented.

This feature is part of our commitment to enhancing the customer experience through timely updates and smarter digital tools.

Visit your Shipment Details page on Maersk.com to explore this functionality and take control of your cargo journey.

Introducing Revised Booking Confirmation on Maersk.com

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Revised Booking Confirmation feature on the Shipment Details page on Maersk.com. This enhancement is designed to provide greater transparency and convenience for our customers when shipment schedules change.

1. Customers can now easily click and download a revised booking confirmation document when there is a change to the Estimated Time of Departure (ETD).
2. The option to download the revised document appears:
• If the booking is confirmed and
• If the ETD of the first vessel (water leg) changes by 12 hours or more, and
• If a new booking confirmation has not already been issued since the ETD change.
3. The tooltip provides a comparison between the updated ETD and the previously confirmed ETD, giving users clear visibility into the changes as illustrated in the screenshot below.
4. The prompt and feature are only made available to the Booked by & Price owner party.
5. If the ETD changes again, the download option will reappear - provided a revised booking confirmation has not already been issued through another channel.
6. The newly generated confirmation will include key shipment tasks and deadlines to help customers stay informed and in control.
7. Each download action is logged, with an entry recorded in the action log on the shipment details as: “Revised booking confirmation downloaded.”

This feature went live on 19 May 2024 and is part of our continued efforts to enhance customer experience and drive digital efficiency.

Explore this new functionality today by visiting your Shipment Details page on Maersk.com.