Which channels can international express deliveries take to reach Africa?
The orders from the African market are increasing year by year, but cross-border sellers generally hesitate to deal with logistics in Africa. Africa is vast in territory, with huge differences in customs policies among countries, uneven infrastructure, limited international express channels, and polarized customs clearance risks. To successfully ship goods, it is necessary to distinguish the available channels and avoid countries with difficult customs clearance.
Currently, the mainstream international logistics for shipping to Africa can be divided into three types of channels. The first type is DHL and FedEx commercial express services. The advantage is wide network coverage, and the goods can be delivered to most capital cities in Africa. The delivery time is generally 5 to 10 working days, and the tracking information is complete. It is suitable for samples, small items, and high-value goods. The disadvantage is high prices. In some countries, the local delivery capacity is weak, and it only supports the urban areas of the capital cities. Delivery to remote areas is impossible.
The second type is the African air express dedicated line. Freight forwarders integrate flight resources, and the goods are transported by air from China to the African hub, and then locally cleared and delivered. The dual clearance and tax payment channels are mostly used. It is suitable for e-commerce general goods weighing over 40 kilograms, with a unit price lower than commercial express services, and the delivery time is approximately 10 to 20 days. The shortcoming is that the end delivery in some countries is unstable, and it is greatly affected by local transportation, resulting in higher risks of lost or damaged goods than in Europe and America.
The third type is the economic channel, mainly air-sea combined transportation. The price is the lowest, but the delivery time is extremely slow, 25 to 45 days. It is suitable for large quantities of goods that are not urgently needed and for scenarios where the integrity of the goods is not highly required.
The difficulty of customs clearance in African countries varies greatly. Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya are generally recognized as the countries with the highest customs clearance difficulty. The Nigerian customs supervision is strict, and it requires providing SONCAP certification. Without certification, the goods will be directly seized at the port, resulting in high detention fees and even destruction. The inspection rate is extremely high for low declarations and unstandardized invoices, and the customs clearance cycle is uncontrollable. Ghana also requires COC certification, with strict reviews and frequent inspections, and high fines. Kenya requires making standard certification for the goods in advance, and incomplete materials can easily be detained.
Countries with relatively friendly customs clearance include South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco. The customs system of South Africa is mature, with transparent rules, and general goods can be cleared smoothly with honest declarations; Egypt and Morocco have clear single-document requirements, and as long as the materials are complete, the clearance success rate is relatively high, but the tariff rate is relatively high.
There are still many hidden risks in African logistics. In some countries, there are many corrupt inspections, and the costs of detention fees and storage fees increase rapidly. Goods detained for a few days will generate high costs. Many African countries have poor local infrastructure, except for the capital cities, and it is difficult to deliver to rural addresses. Even the recipients need to pick up the goods themselves. At the same time, be aware of prohibited and restricted items. Second-hand goods, batteries, and cosmetics are restricted in many countries.