ART PACKING & CUSTOM CRATING · WOODSTOCK WORKSHOP · CAPE TOWN
Art Packing & Custom Crating in Cape Town
JLog builds custom crates and packs artworks and high-value items in Cape Town — museum-grade materials, ISPM-15 compliant timber for export, collection from studio or gallery.
What We Pack and Crate
Our workshop handles the full range of fragile and high-value goods — from delicate paintings to large-format sculpture. If it needs to arrive intact, we can pack and crate it.
- Paintings and framed works — soft-wrap, corner protection, and custom inner support
- Sculpture — stone, bronze, steel, and mixed media; cradle-and-batten bracing for long or irregular forms
- Ceramics and fragile items — foam flotation packing, double-wrapped to prevent surface contact
- High-value equipment — audio, photographic, and precision instruments needing rigid protection
- Export cargo requiring certified timber crates — ISPM-15 heat-treated plywood for international consignments
Custom Export Crates — ISPM-15 Compliant
Most countries — including the USA, EU, UK, and Gulf — require that solid-wood packaging meets ISPM-15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15). JLog builds export crates from ISPM-15 heat-treated plywood, stamped and compliant, so your shipment clears customs without hold-ups at the border.
Every crate is built to the exact dimensions of the piece. There are no off-the-shelf sizes — material thickness, internal bracing, and foam lining are matched to the object’s weight and fragility. Foam-lined inner trays suit objects needing flotation; cradle-and-batten bracing handles long or irregular forms. Crate dimensions and gross weight are recorded on the crate and on the packing manifest; these feed directly into the commercial invoice and carrier dimensional-weight calculation.
THE FULL CHAIN — ONE COMPANY
Packing, Crating, Storage, Customs Clearance & Delivery Under One Roof
Most crating specialists hand you back the crate and walk away. JLog handles the complete chain: we pack and crate the work, move it to our secure Woodstock facility if storage is needed between build and dispatch, manage all export and import customs documentation — including SARS clearance — and arrange onward freight via our FedEx and DHL direct accounts. One company, one accountability line, from studio to destination.
JLog is the appointed official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair — the Southern Hemisphere’s premier contemporary art event. That appointment reflects consistency, zero damage tolerance, and the ability to move multiple gallery consignments under deadline. The same team handles private commissions year-round.
For heritage works subject to SAHRA (South African Heritage Resources Agency) export restrictions, we handle permit applications in-house. There is no separate specialist to engage — it is part of the service. See our art storage in Cape Town →
Collection Service — Cape Town-Wide
You do not need to bring the work to us. JLog collects from studios, galleries, and private homes across Cape Town. Collection is coordinated directly — we agree on timing, the team arrives with the correct soft-wrap materials and equipment for the piece, and we take custody from that moment. If the work is being crated for export, we assess dimensions on-site so the build starts immediately on return to our Woodstock workshop. Need transport without crating? See our dedicated vehicle hire service for deliveries and collections across Cape Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related: Art Storage Cape Town · Request a Quote · Art Logistics Cape Town · Custom Crating Workshop