South Africa import duty and VAT overview
This page summarises what Customs Declare holds for goods imported into South Africa: the customs duty rates, VAT, excise items, trade-remedy duties and the trade agreements that can lower duty. Each figure comes from our database, and where confidence is not full we say so.
Import duty (MFN rates)
Our South African duty data covers 4,436 HS six-digit codes, based on the 2017 edition of the HS, from the AfCFTA Secretariat e-Tariff Book and last refreshed on 2 August 2026:
- 49% of the lines (2,195) carry a 0% standard rate.
- The average standard rate across all lines is 8.8%.
- The highest standard rate in our data is 55%, and 334 lines are at 30% or above.
- The most common non-zero rates are 10%, 15%, 20%, 22%, 5%, 30% and 45%.
VAT
The standard VAT rate is 15%, recorded with full confidence, and last checked on 31 August 2026. PwC's tax summary confirms a standard rate of 15% and a zero rate, and states that imported goods are subject to VAT on entry, with exemptions in the VAT Act schedule. Customs Declare calculates duty first, then excise, then VAT. That order is a modelled convention we apply to all destinations, not something we have verified for South Africa specifically.
Excise and other charges
- General Fuel Levy on petrol: 4.10 ZAR per litre, and on diesel: 3.93 ZAR per litre, effective 1 July 2026, confirmed from a National Treasury statement.
- Excise on malt beer: 145.07 ZAR per litre of absolute alcohol, and on cigarettes: 1.179 ZAR per stick, from secondary reports of the 2026/27 budget. Moderate confidence.
- Passenger vehicles under HS 8703 carry an ad valorem excise that rises with value, described in the used vehicles guide.
- Excise items we do not hold are not shown in the duty calculator. Where a good is subject to excise that we lack, add it from the tariff schedule yourself.
Anti-dumping and safeguard duties
South Africa's trade-remedy duties are set by ITAC and published in Schedule 2 of the Customs and Excise Act. We hold these three cases:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in primary forms, HS 3907.61 and 3907.69: 75% from Chinese Taipei, 54.1% from India and 19.7% from the Republic of Korea.
- New passenger car tyres, HS 4011.10, from China: 7.18% to 43.6% depending on the producer, and 41.47% for all other producers.
- Safeguard duty of 11% on flat-rolled iron or steel, HS 7208.10, from all origins except a list of 83 countries; the country list was mapped to ISO codes by us and should be spot-checked.
Trade agreements
Our table lists South Africa as a participant in the SADC free trade area and, from 2021, the AfCFTA. A shipment from another member can be eligible for a lower rate if the goods meet the rules of origin. See the SADC and AfCFTA guides, and the guide on finding the lowest duty.
Frequently asked questions
Does the duty calculator include every South African tariff line?
It covers the HS six-digit codes we hold, and South Africa's national tariff has more detailed lines. Confirm the eight-digit line with SARS before you file.
Why is my duty different from this overview?
Your goods' HS code, origin, valuation, any trade-remedy duty and any preferential rate all change the result. Use the calculator with your own inputs.
How recent is the data?
Duty rates were refreshed on 2 August 2026 and VAT was last checked on 31 August 2026. Each figure in the calculator shows its own source and date.
Sources
Last verified: 2026-09-29
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Work out duty and VAT for South Africa
Enter the HS code, origin and CIF value to see duty, excise, VAT and any trade-remedy duty.
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