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What is the SAD 500 customs declaration?

The SAD 500 is the Single Administrative Document used for customs declarations in Southern Africa. The five members of the Southern African Customs Union are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini. Customs guides from Botswana and Eswatini describe the SAD 500 as a multi-purpose document: it can be used for imports, exports, warehousing, temporary movements and transit, and the customs procedure code says which one.

How it is filed

Practice differs by country. Eswatini's guide says the SAD 500 is submitted electronically in ASYCUDAWorld, and that one declaration can hold up to 999 items. South Africa's revenue service says every importer or exporter must lodge a Goods Declaration, makes a self-assessment, and submits it electronically or manually. SARS publishes a SAD 500 form. If supporting documents are not on hand, SARS says the client may apply for a sight declaration (DA 22).

Botswana's revenue authority lists the documents required when declaring imported commercial goods: cargo manifest, customs bill of entry, supplier's invoice, transport documents, a certificate of origin where preference is claimed, and permits or licences for goods that need them.

The main boxes

The SAD is split into a general segment (boxes 1 to 30), an item segment (boxes 31 to 49) and, in Eswatini's guide, a transit control segment (boxes 50 to 54). The list below follows Botswana's July 2003 completion guide. It is dated and written for Botswana, and each country decides which boxes are mandatory, so check your own customs authority's current guide.

Box 1, Declaration: the model code, such as IM for import, and the basic procedure, such as 4 for home use.
Box 2, Exporter: the foreign supplier.
Box 8, Consignee: the importer, with their trader identification number.
Box 14, Declarant: the importer or the approved agent filing for them.
Box 15, Country of export.
Box 20, Delivery terms: the Incoterm.
Box 22, Currency and total amount invoiced.
Box 31, Packages and description of the goods.
Box 33, Commodity code.
Box 34, Country of origin of the item.
Boxes 35 and 38, Gross mass and net mass in kilos.
Box 37, Procedure: the customs procedure code.
Box 42, Customs value, and Box 43, valuation method.
Box 47, Calculation of duties and taxes.

Get the procedure code right

Botswana's guide stresses the customs procedure code in Box 37 and says entering an incorrect code is making an incorrect declaration. For imports from the SACU area that qualify for common customs area treatment, it gives 40 00 CCA as the usual code.

Who is responsible

Botswana's guide says it is the responsibility of the importer or exporter and their agent to complete the declaration fully and accurately, that customs cannot complete it for you, and that false declarations can attract severe penalties.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries use the SAD 500?

Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa each publish a SAD 500 form or guide. Lesotho is the fifth SACU member. Check your destination's own customs authority for its current rules.

Is the SAD 500 filed on paper or electronically?

It depends on the country. Eswatini's guide says it must be submitted electronically. South Africa accepts electronic or manual submission. Botswana's 2003 guide describes paper copies, but that guide is dated.

Is the SAD 500 the same as a bill of entry?

Botswana's authority lists a customs bill of entry among the import documents, while the SAD 500 is the declaration form. Customs materials in the region use both terms, so check which your destination asks for.

Sources

Last verified: 2026-10-17

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