Sea Freight Company in Johannesburg — FCL & LCL via Durban, Cape Town & Ngqura
Flexagon Freight & Logistics books FCL and LCL sea freight through Durban, Cape Town and Ngqura, and handles inland containers at City Deep — with the road leg, VGM declaration, customs clearing and empty return all managed as one job. Reefers, flat racks, open tops, break-bulk and project cargo included.
On sea freight the ocean rate is the part everyone compares and the part that matters least. Port charges, the inland leg, free days and demurrage decide what the shipment actually costs.
Who arranges sea freight from Johannesburg, South Africa?
Flexagon Freight & Logistics arranges FCL and LCL sea freight through Durban, Cape Town and Ngqura, and handles inland containers at City Deep, from an office at 2 West Street, Kempton Park CBD, Gauteng. Operating since 2004 and a SARS-registered customs clearing agent, we manage the ocean leg, the inland road leg, the VGM declaration, customs clearing and the empty container return as a single job.
Equipment includes standard dry containers, reefers for temperature-controlled cargo, flat racks and open tops for out-of-gauge, and break-bulk for cargo that will not containerise. Quotes are issued within 24 business hours. Call +27 73 326 0521 or request a quote.
- Ports
- Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura
- Inland terminal
- City Deep, Johannesburg
- Gauteng to Durban
- Approx. 570 km — typically one day
- Equipment
- Dry, reefer, flat rack, open top, break-bulk
- Quote turnaround
- Within 24 business hours
Page content last reviewed and updated 30 September 2026.
The Ocean Rate Is the Part
That Matters Least
Importers compare sea freight quotes on the ocean rate, because it is the number most visible on the page. It is rarely where the money goes. A container landing in Gauteng carries terminal handling at the port, documentation and release fees, the roughly 570 km inland leg, customs duty and VAT, unpack time — and, if anything slips, demurrage and detention charges that accrue daily and can exceed the ocean rate outright.
So we quote the legs separately. You see the ocean freight, the port charges, the inland leg, the clearing and the delivery as distinct lines, which means you can compare like with like and see where the cost actually sits. It also means you can see which legs you control: free days, in particular, are a planning decision rather than a fixed fact.
Because we are a SARS-registered clearing agent, the entry on your sea import is lodged by the same business that booked the vessel — no handover between forwarder and broker at the point where most delays begin. Call +27 73 326 0521, email [email protected] or request a quote.
⏳ Demurrage and Detention — Where Sea Freight Costs Escalate
Free days are the days you have to collect the container and return the empty before daily charges start. Demurrage runs while the box sits in the terminal; detention runs while you hold it. Both accrue per container per day and neither waits for your unpacking schedule. We plan the collection and the empty return into the quote, not after it.
Sea Freight Near Me — Anywhere in South Africa
Searching for sea freight near you? We collect from every Gauteng suburb and run scheduled national routes to all nine provinces. Pick your city for local collection detail, transit times and a quote form.
Collected From Your Door
Scheduled and on-demand collections — you do not come to us.
Quote Inside 24 Hours
Itemised quote within 24 business hours; before midday often same day.
Quote on WhatsApp
Send a photo of the invoice or packing list to +27 73 326 0521.
24/7 Line in Transit
A person answers for cargo already moving or stuck at a border.
Container and Break-Bulk
Sea Freight Services
Learn More opens the related service page; Request a Quote goes straight to the enquiry form.
FCL — Full Container Load
20ft, 40ft and 40ft high-cube containers booked port to port or door to door, with the inland leg, VGM declaration, clearing and empty return managed. For regular volumes we will look at whether a service contract rate beats spot on your lane.
LCL — Groupage and Part Container Loads
For volumes that do not fill a container, cargo is consolidated with other shippers and charged on cubic metres or weight, whichever is greater. LCL carries more handling points than FCL, so packing quality matters more — we will tell you when your volume has grown to the point where a full container is cheaper.
Reefer Containers & Temperature-Controlled Sea Freight
Refrigerated containers for food, beverage, horticultural and pharmaceutical cargo, with set-point confirmation, pre-cooling requirements and plug-in arranged at every point in the chain. Cargo loaded warm does not come right in transit, so pre-cooling at origin is part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
Flat Rack, Open Top & Out-of-Gauge Cargo
Machinery, structural steel, tanks and plant that will not fit a standard box move on flat racks or open tops, with lashing and securing to carrier requirements and a survey where the dimensions demand it. Send the weight and all three dimensions at enquiry stage — they determine the equipment, the rate and the road permits.
Break-Bulk & Project Cargo
For cargo that genuinely will not containerise — transformers, vessels, mining plant, long-lead project equipment. Break-bulk sailings are less frequent than container services, so early booking materially affects both the cost and the timeline. We handle the port-side co-ordination and heavy-lift arrangements.
City Deep Inland Container Handling
Where your container comes inland by rail to City Deep rather than being trucked from Durban, we clear it there, collect on release, deliver to your premises, and return the empty within the free days. City Deep timing is driven by rail availability and depot capacity, which we track rather than assume.
Freight & Customs Clearing Prices
Below the Published Market Rate
Most forwarders make you phone for a price. We publish ours. Every from-price below sits under the lowest rate we could find publicly listed by other South African forwarders in September 2026.
| Service | Unit | Typical published market rate | Flexagon price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customs Clearing | |||
| Courier / small-parcel import clearanceper entry | per entry | from R1,800 | from R1,550 |
| Air freight import clearance (OR Tambo)per entry | per entry | from R3,500 | from R2,950 |
| Sea freight import clearance (FCL / LCL)per entry | per entry | from R3,500 | from R2,950 |
| Export declaration & clearanceper entry | per entry | from R2,500 | from R2,100 |
| Urgent / same-day clearanceper entry | per entry | from R5,000 | from R4,250 |
| Warehousing | |||
| Pallet storage (general)per pallet / month | per pallet / month | from R250 | from R229 |
| Pallet receiving / intakeper pallet | per pallet | R150 | R135 |
| Container devanning — 20ftper container | per container | R3,500 | R3,150 |
| Container devanning — 40ftper container | per container | R5,500 | R4,950 |
| Pick & packper order | per order | R15 | R13 |
| Road Freight | |||
| Pallet Johannesburg ⇄ Durban (≤800 kg)per pallet | per pallet | R420 – R650 | from R395 |
| Pallet Johannesburg ⇄ Cape Town (≤800 kg)per pallet | per pallet | R850 – R1,200 | from R799 |
| Pallet Johannesburg ⇄ Polokwane (≤800 kg)per pallet | per pallet | R280 – R420 | from R265 |
| 5-ton part load Johannesburg ⇄ Durbanper load | per load | R2,100 – R3,200 | from R1,990 |
| 5-ton part load Johannesburg ⇄ Cape Townper load | per load | R4,800 – R7,200 | from R4,550 |
| Interlink full truckload (34 t)per km | per km | R18.00 – R28.00 | from R17.20 |
Flexagon vs the Usual Freight Forwarder
| What matters | Flexagon Freight & Logistics | Many other forwarders |
|---|---|---|
| Prices published up front | Yes — on this page | "Call for a quote" |
| Quote turnaround | Within 24 business hours | Often several days |
| SARS clearing done in-house | Yes — SARS-registered since 2004 | Frequently sub-contracted |
| Written price-beat promise | Yes | Rarely |
| Quotes on WhatsApp | Yes — +27 73 326 0521 | Email or call centre |
| Named account manager | One person, direct line | Ticket queue |
| Air, sea and road compared on one quote | Yes | One mode, one price |
| 24/7 line for cargo in transit | Yes | Office hours only |
How a Sea Shipment Moves
Four steps. On sea freight the money is won at the planning stage and lost at the free-day stage.
01 · Send Volume, Commodity and Incoterm
Tell us the cargo, the total volume or container requirement, the ports or door addresses, and the Incoterm agreed with your supplier. The Incoterm decides which legs you are actually paying for, and misunderstanding it is the most common reason a sea quote looks wrong. Request a quote.
02 · Booking, Equipment and Documentation
We book the sailing and the right equipment, confirm the VGM requirement, and check the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading against each other before the cargo sails. Document mismatches found at origin cost nothing; the same mismatch found at Durban costs storage.
03 · Arrival, Clearing and Free Days
On arrival we lodge the entry with our own SARS-registered staff, obtain release, and plan collection against the free days rather than against convenience. This is the step where demurrage and detention are avoided or incurred.
04 · Delivery, Unpack and Empty Return
Container delivered, unpacked where required, and the empty returned within the free period. You receive the bill of lading, customs release, entry and proof of delivery as one document pack.
What We Need to Quote Sea Freight
These six get you an accurate, itemised quote rather than an indicative ocean rate that changes later.
To quote accurately we need
- Container requirement or volume — how many 20ft/40ft containers, or total CBM and weight for LCL
- Commodity and value — what the goods are and the invoice value, for both booking and customs
- Ports or door addresses — origin port or supplier address, and the delivery address in South Africa
- Incoterm — EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP and the rest change which legs you pay for — this matters more than the rate
- Temperature or dimensions — set-point for reefer cargo, or the three dimensions for out-of-gauge
- Required arrival date — so we can work backwards from the sailing schedule rather than forwards
Documents for the shipment
- Commercial invoice — value, currency, Incoterm and a proper goods description
- Packing list — must agree with the invoice and the bill of lading
- Bill of lading — issued by the carrier; check consignee and notify details carefully
- VGM declaration — verified gross mass, mandatory before a container is loaded
- Certificate of origin — where a preferential duty rate is claimed
- Safety data sheet — for anything that may be classified under the IMDG Code
Check the consignee and notify party on the bill of lading before it is issued. A bill of lading naming the wrong party — or naming a party who has not paid — is slow and expensive to amend once the vessel has sailed, and it is one of the few sea freight problems that cannot be fixed on arrival.
What We Ship
By Sea Most Often
Sea freight carries the volume. These are the sectors where it does most of the work.
What You Get on
a Sea Freight Booking
Six reasons South African shippers switch to Flexagon — and stay.
The Legs Quoted Separately
Ocean freight, port charges, inland leg, clearing and delivery shown as distinct lines. You can compare like with like, and you can see which costs you actually control.
Itemised, not one opaque numberFree Days Planned, Not Discovered
Collection and empty return are planned against the free days at booking stage. Demurrage and detention accrue per container per day and can exceed the ocean rate — this is the most avoidable cost in sea freight.
Demurrage designed out of the jobWe Clear Our Own Containers
SARS-registered, lodging the entry ourselves. No handover between forwarder and broker at exactly the point where delays usually start.
Booking and clearing under one roofOut-of-Gauge Handled Properly
Flat racks, open tops, break-bulk and heavy lift, with lashing, surveys and abnormal road permits arranged before dispatch rather than improvised at the gate.
Right equipment specified up frontDurban, Cape Town and City Deep Compared
The default routing is not always the cheapest from your location. We price the alternatives — including inland rail to City Deep — rather than assuming.
Gateway chosen on numbersA Named Account Manager
One person who knows your suppliers, your lanes and your unpacking capacity, reachable directly, with a 24/7 line for cargo in transit.
Direct line, no call centreSea Lanes Worked Through South African Ports
Indicative port-to-port transit. Add clearing, the inland leg and free-day planning for a realistic door-to-door timeline.
| Lane from South Africa | Mode | Indicative transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far East → Durban | Sea FCL/LCL | 25–35 days | The highest-volume import lane into Gauteng |
| Europe / UK → Durban | Sea FCL/LCL | 25–35 days | Machinery, components and retail stock |
| India / Middle East → Durban | Sea FCL/LCL | 18–28 days | Chemicals, textiles and components |
| USA → Durban / Cape Town | Sea FCL/LCL | 30–40 days | Often transhipped; check routing carefully |
| South America → Durban | Sea FCL | 25–35 days | Agricultural and industrial inputs |
| Durban → West Africa | Sea FCL/LCL | 14–25 days | Lagos, Tema, Abidjan; transhipment common |
| Durban → East Africa | Sea FCL/LCL | 10–20 days | Mombasa and Dar es Salaam |
| Cape Town → Europe | Sea reefer/FCL | 18–25 days | Reefer capacity is seasonal — book early |
| Durban Port → Gauteng | Road, ~570 km | 1 day | The inland leg; typically an overnight or day run |
| City Deep → Gauteng premises | Road, ~10–35 km | Same day | Inland rail terminal collection and delivery |
Port-to-port figures exclude clearing at either end and assume direct services. Transhipped routings add time and handling points, and are frequently the hidden reason a cheap ocean rate arrives late. We tell you when a quoted rate is a transhipment rather than a direct service.
Sea Freight Collection Across Gauteng
Containers collected from and delivered to every area below, with clearing handled at Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura or City Deep.
Collection & Delivery in All Nine Provinces
We collect from and deliver to these centres on scheduled national runs.
7 Costly Mistakes Sea Freight Shippers Make —
and How We Prevent Them
Most freight overspend is not the rate. It is a delay, a penalty or a charge nobody planned for.
Wrong tariff heading
An inherited or guessed HS code can mean overpaid duty on every shipment — or a SARS penalty later. We check the heading, not copy it forward.
No importer / exporter code
Cargo cannot be cleared without SARS customs registration. We walk first-time traders through it before the goods ship.
Invoice and packing list don't match
Mismatched weights, values or descriptions trigger stops and inspections. We check supplier documents before departure.
Free days missed
Containers left past the free period rack up storage, demurrage and detention. We book collection against the release.
Wrong Incoterm
EXW, FOB or DAP decides who pays for what. The wrong one quietly moves costs onto you. We advise before you order.
Undeclared dangerous goods
Batteries, chemicals, aerosols and paints need DG documentation. Undeclared DG gets rejected or fined.
Choosing the cheapest rate, not the cheapest landed cost
A low freight rate with high port, clearing or delivery charges costs more. Our quotes show the full landed cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What importers ask before booking a container into South Africa.
Request a Sea Freight Quote
Send the container requirement or volume, the commodity, the ports and your Incoterm. A sea freight specialist will reply within 24 business hours with an itemised, leg-by-leg quote.
Sea Freight Enquiry
Fields marked * are required. We reply within 24 business hours. International enquiries are welcome — we quote to any country worldwide.
Kempton Park, Gauteng 1619
South Africa
Saturday: 08:00–12:00 SAST
24/7 emergency freight line
Import, export and cross-trade shipments
Detailed, itemised, no obligation
Other Ways to Move It
Sea is the cheapest way to move volume, and the wrong answer when the date is fixed. Here is the rest of what we do.
Freight & Logistics by Area
Every area page carries local collection detail, suburb coverage, indicative transit times and its own quote form.
Explore Each Freight Service in Detail
Every service page explains scope, documentation and lead times — or skip ahead and request a quote.
Serving Johannesburg, Gauteng
and All of South Africa
Containers collected and delivered across Johannesburg and greater Gauteng, cleared at Durban, Cape Town, Ngqura or City Deep, and co-ordinated from Kempton Park — with national coverage across all nine provinces.