Ocean and Air Shipping from India to South Africa

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Updated on 28 Nov 2021

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The former British colonies have developed strong strategic and economic ties ever since South Africa ended apartheid in 1994. India is South Africa’s fourth-largest import origin and the second-largest trading partner in Asia. Both countries set a target in 2016 to double bilateral trade and investment to $20 billion by 2021.

If importing from India to South Africa is on your agenda for this year, then you are in the right place. This page will help you demystify the process of international ocean and air freight shipping. We provide the guidance that you need to ship freight from India to South Africa successfully.

What Are Your Options for Shipping From India to South Africa?

Ocean freight and Air freight are the two choices that you have when sending goods from India to South Africa. Both alternatives offer distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Ocean Freight From India to South Africa

Less than Container Load (LCL): LCL means that your cargo will share a container with consignments of other shippers. This is a great option when you don’t want to hire a full container for yourself. Often, LCL is the least expensive way to import from India to South Africa.

Full Container Load (FCL): FCL means renting an entire container for your exclusive use. In this case, you will have to pay a flat fee for the full container. Depending on the dimensions and weight of your cargo, FCL can also be less expensive than LCL.

Air Freight from India to South Africa

Air freight is by far the quickest way to ship your freight from India to South Africa. Be aware, though, that it is much more expensive than sea freight in most cases.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From India to South Africa?

Calculator to represent the cost of Shipa Freight's quotes

The ultimate cost of transporting your cargo from India to South Africa depends on several factors. Freight forwarders will provide you with a quote based on the following aspects:

Nature of goods
Chosen mode of transport (FCL, LCL, Air)
Weight of the cargo
Dimension of the cargo
Distance between origin and destination
Type of service (such as Port-to-Port, Door-to-Door)

To give you an idea of how the different modes of transport compare with regard to cost, consider this general rule of thumb: The price for air freight and ocean freight is about the same when you are shipping cargo of less than 100 kg. Simply choose the faster option in this case. If your goods are heavier than 100 kg, though, sea freight is typically less expensive than air freight.

It is also important to know that most freight forwarders, including Shipa Freight, won’t ship cargo of 35 kg or less. You can engage an international courier service in this case.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From India to South Africa?

Ocean and air freight have vastly different transit times. Air shipping will get your goods to South Africa the fastest. Even though no direct flights are available, transit times can be as short as one day.

The transit time for shipping a container from India to South Africa is much longer. Crossing the Indian Ocean will take anywhere between 19 and 34 days, depending on the ports of origin and arrival.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea From India to South Africa?

Here are a few examples of transit times for routes that Shipa Freight operates between India and South Africa:

Nhava Sheva to Durban – 19 days FCL, 21 days LCL
Nhava Sheva to Cape Town – 29 days FCL
Mundra to Durban – 24 days FCL
Mundra to Port Elizabeth – 30 days FCL
Mundra to Cape Town – 30 days FCL
Chennai to Durban – 32 days FCL
Cochin to Cape Town – 34 days FCL

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From India to South Africa?

Here are a few examples of transit times for typical air freight routes between India and South Africa:

Delhi to Johannesburg – 2 days
Mumbai to Johannesburg – 3 days
Chennai to Port Elizabeth – 5 days
Delhi to Durban – 5 days
Delhi to Cape Town – 6 days

Customs Clearance in India and South Africa

Completing customs clearance is mandatory when you export from India to South Africa. Most businesses prefer to engage a freight forwarder or agent for this task to minimize any risk of delays and problems. With an experienced partner by your side, you can be certain that all formalities will be completed according to the existing laws and regulations.

Hiring a freight forwarder doesn’t mean that you are freed from all responsibilities, though. You still have to submit the required documentation. Generally, the customs authorities in India and South Africa will ask for the following documents:

Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

In certain cases, you need to produce other documents, such as licenses, permits, or certificates. If so, your freight forwarder will advise you straight away. To learn more about the different types of documents relating to ocean and air shipping from India to South Africa, and view some examples, check out our handy documents list.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

Sea freight is the most common option to ship goods across the Indian Ocean. Your consignment will travel in a shipping container from India to South Africa on a specialized cargo vessel. If you are planning to move cargo that won’t fit into a container, your carrier or freight forwarder can recommend other alternatives, such as break-bulk shipping.

You can choose between two alternatives for containerized ocean shipping: LCL and FCL. The weight, volume, and nature of your goods will determine which one is the best choice for your needs. Either option can be booked as a port-to-port or door-to-door service.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

LCL is right for you if:

You are shipping smaller consignments of 14 CBM or less (around six standard pallets).
You don’t need your goods in South Africa urgently.
You don’t want to be bothered with having to choose the right container size.
Your goods won’t be impacted by traveling next to cargo of other shippers in the same container.
You can’t afford to send your goods via air.

However, there are also downsides to LCL shipping. Remember that the consignments of all shippers have to be consolidated in a container at the port of origin and deconsolidated at the port of arrival. These extra process steps often lengthen the transit time and make LCL the slowest option compared to FCL or air freight.

LCL might not be the right choice for you if:

Your freight is delicate, perishable, or has a high value.
Your cargo shouldn’t be handled and moved more than absolutely necessary.
You want to prevent any delays and need your cargo in South Africa at a certain date.
Your cargo is very large or very heavy.

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

If LCL doesn’t seem like a good choice, then FCL might be right for you if:

You need certainty with regard to the delivery date.
You prefer that your freight is fully sealed in a container until it reaches its final destination.
You need to transport more than 14 CBM (around half the load capacity of a 20ft container).
Your cargo is very delicate or heavy.

Air Freight

Air shipping is right for you if:

Your products have a short shelf-life.
You need your cargo to reach South Africa as soon as possible.
Speed is more important to you than low cost.
You are shipping high-value goods and require the highest levels of security.
You only have a small, light shipment of a few pallets or less.
Your supplier and recipient are both located close to an international airport.

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in India

Nhava Sheva

Port Facts:

Largest container port in India.
Located close to Mumbai on the Arabian Sea.
First port in India to exceed the 5 million TEUs per year mark in 2019.
Also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Mundra

Port Facts:

Privately-owned cargo hub in the state of Gujarat in India’s west.
One of the 50 busiest container ports worldwide.
Features four container terminals and nine berths.
Offers inland connections via rail, road network, airport and cross country pipelines.

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMUN.

Chennai

Port Facts:

Formerly known as Madras Port.
Located in the Bay of Bengal in India’s southeast.
Second largest container port in India.
Features 26 alongside berths.

Owned By: Chennai Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMAA.

Kolkata

Port Facts:

Officially known as Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port.
Located on a river around 203 km inland from the Bay of Bengal.
India’s third-busiest port for containerized goods in 2018 and 2019.
Ideal for suppliers in Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Bhadrak, or Bangladesh.
Boasts 86 wharves and 28 berths.

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >825,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCCU.

Hazira

Port Facts:

Privately-run deepwater sea freight facility.
Convenient access by road or railroad from Surat, Karjan, Kosamba, and Bharuch.
Solid alternative to the busier port of Mumbai to the south.

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >300,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHZA.

Other Ports of Origin in India

Alternatively, you can import from India to South Africa from any of the following seaports:

Ahmedabad
Visakhapatnam
Kattupalli
Pipavav
Haldia
Krishnapatnam
Tuticorin
Mormugao

Cargo Ports of Arrival in South Africa

Durban

Port Facts:

Commonly called Durban Harbour, it’s the busiest port in South Africa.
Largest and busiest container terminal in sub-Saharan Africa.
The fourth largest container terminal in the entire Southern Hemisphere.
Handles over 4,500 commercial vessels each year.
Facilities include 58 berths operated by more than 20 terminal operators.

Owned By: Transnet National Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >2.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: ZADUR.

Cape Town

Port Facts:

Located in Table Bay along one of the world's busiest trade routes.
One of the busiest ports in South Africa.
Facilities include 34 berths and extensive ship repair facilities.
Good rail and road connections to South Africa’s hinterland.

Owned By: Transnet National Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >888,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: ZACPT.

Coega

Port Facts:

Deepwater port known as the Port of Ngqura.
Located near Port Elizabeth in the Nelson Mandela Bay.
Facilities include a 60-hectare container terminal.
Long-term development plan in place to increase the capacity to 1.5 million TEUs per year.

Owned By: Transnet National Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >630,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: ZAZBA.

Port Elizabeth

Port Facts:

Located in Algoa Bay.
Container terminal with three berths totalling 925 m in length.
Facilities also include a storage area of 22 hectares.
Can load trains directly under the gantry cranes, speeding up delivery to inland destinations.

Owned By: Transnet National Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >216,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: ZAPLZ.

East London

Port Facts:

South Africa's only remaining river port.
Located at the mouth of the Buffalo River in the East Cape Province.
The port has 12 commercial berths and a repair quay of 110 m.
Facilities include a multi-purpose, bulk, and car terminal.

Owned By: Transnet National Ports Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >53,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: ZAELS.

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide