Shipping a Car to Africa

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Shipping a car to Africa can be somewhat challenging because of the myriad import rules and regulations that exist in each country within the continent.

Different Import Rules and Regulations

Many countries in Africa have differing rules relating to vehicle imports and it can be very difficult to keep current on all the requirements. If you are planning to ship a car to Africa, your best bet would be to hire a shipping company that specializes in importing cars to the continent.

Container and RoRo shipping

The actual method used to ship a car to Africa from the United States is not very different from how cars are shipped around the world. Your car will be transported via sea either on a Roll on Roll off (RoRo) basis or in a container. With container shipping, your car will be stored in either a 20’ container or a 40’ container and transported via ship to its destination.

With RoRo shipping, you car will be driven on board the transport ship and secured within an allotted parking space on the vessel and transported to its destination where it will then be driven off the ship. Both methods have their merits and their disadvantages. RoRo shipping is more economical, but, with a container, you can transport several household goods along with your car.

The key to importing a car to Africa is to understand that no two countries in the area have the exact same rules.

Bill of Lading, Loading Certificates

Many African countries including Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria and The Republic of Congo require you to obtain either a Bordereau de Suivi Cargaison (BSC), Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), or Attestation de reservation de Calle’ (ARC) certificate from the port of origin. These are basically loading certificates/import licenses/waivers that are required to import a car to Africa. Several other countries, including Ghana, Gambia, Mauritania and Sierra Leone need no such certificate.

Different Import Tariffs

Different countries have different import tariffs. So, when you import a car to Africa you need to know exactly what you will be expected to pay in the country of your destination. For example, Morocco has a flat 45 percent import duty, a 12.5 percent sales tax and a value added tax based on engine size. South Africa’s car import tariffs range from 20 percent to 32 percent, while Tunisia has a flat 17.5 percent tax.

Restrictions on Vehicle Types

When importing a car to Africa, you also need to be aware of restrictions on the kinds of vehicles you can import into different countries. For instance, Ghana does not permit import of vehicles that are older than 10 years, Tunisia does not permit import of any vehicle over 3 years old, while Zimbabwe only permits vehicles that are four years old or newer.

Left Hand Drive Countries

Be aware also that many African nations, such as Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, drive on the left hand side of the road. These countries will only let you import vehicles that have steering wheels on the right hand side of the vehicle. Often, such intricacies can been too complex to keep track of, which is why it is best to hire a transporter that is specialized in serving African nations when shipping a car to Africa.