How to Buy From South African Shops and Ship Overseas
By Gerrit Dyman, Managing Director, JLog · Updated 17 October 2026
You can buy from South African online shops that don’t ship overseas by using a South African forwarding address. With the JLog SA Shopper Address, you sign up free and get an address and locker number at our Woodstock, Cape Town warehouse. Shops deliver your orders there, and we check, combine and ship them to you anywhere in the world on FedEx or DHL. You pay R150 handling per parcel, plus shipping priced on chargeable weight.
Watch: how it works in 70 seconds
Read the video transcript
0:00 You've found something you love in a South African shop. Then checkout says they only deliver inside South Africa.
0:07 Step one: get your free locker number. Sign up with JLog. It's free, and we'll send you your JLog address and your own locker number at our warehouse in Woodstock, Cape Town.
0:17 Step two: shop and pre-alert us. Buy from any South African store and pay the shop directly. Put your locker number right after your surname in the name field, for example Your Name GS-1234. Address line 1 is Unit 12C (GS-1234), Nearby Industrial Park, and line 2 is 10 Railway Street, Woodstock, Cape Town 7925. Then send us a pre-alert on WhatsApp for every order: store, order number, tracking number, contents, value.
0:28 Step three: tell us when you're ready. When parcels arrive, we check, weigh and photograph each one, email you, and hold your parcels free for 7 to 14 days. Buying from a few shops? We combine them into one box. When you're ready, we quote one combined shipment, and once you've paid we usually dispatch within 48 hours on FedEx or DHL, fully tracked. Priority takes four to six business days, Economy seven to ten, subject to customs in your country.
0:49 What it costs: the address is free. Handling is R150 per parcel. Shipping is priced on chargeable weight. Duties and taxes are paid by the receiver, and insurance is optional.
0:59 Get your South African address at jlog.co.za, or message us on WhatsApp on +27 72 312 3034. We reply within four business hours. And always put your locker number right after your surname.
How to buy from South Africa and ship overseas
Many South African shops deliver only inside South Africa. A parcel forwarding address gets round that. It gives you a local delivery address, so the shop sees an ordinary South African order. Here is how it works with JLog.
- Get your free locker number. Sign up free and we'll send you your JLog address and your own locker number. It starts with GS-.
- Shop and pre-alert us. Buy from any South African store and pay the shop directly. Put your locker number right after your surname. Then send us a quick pre-alert on WhatsApp: store, order number, tracking number, contents, value.
- Tell us when you're ready. We email you as each parcel arrives and keep it free for 7–14 days. When you're ready, we quote one combined shipment. Once you've paid, we usually dispatch within 48 hours, with tracking.
We ship on FedEx or DHL. Priority takes 4 to 6 business days and Economy 7 to 10 business days, subject to customs in your country. Fragile or valuable items can be re-packed or crated.
Your address and locker number
Send every order to the JLog warehouse in Woodstock, with your locker number right after your surname:
Your South African shipping addressName: Your Name GS-1234
(your locker number goes right after your surname)
Address line 1: Unit 12C (GS-1234), Nearby Industrial Park
Address line 2: 10 Railway Street, Woodstock
City / postcode: Cape Town 7925, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone: 021 300 6099
Why the name field? Couriers print the name on every label, but they often cut extra address lines.
Send us a pre-alert for every order: store, order number, tracking number, contents, value. WhatsApp +27 72 312 3034. We reply within 4 business hours (Mon–Fri).
What it costs
Signing up is free. You pay for handling and for the international shipment. Everything is billed in South African rand.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Your SA address and locker number | Free |
| Handling: receive, check, weigh, photograph | R150 per parcel |
| Storage while you shop | Free for 7 to 14 days |
| Combining parcels into one box | Quoted per shipment |
| International shipping | By chargeable weight (see below) |
| Insurance (optional) | 2.1% of (goods value + courier cost + 10%), R2,500 excess per claim |
| Import duties and taxes | Paid by the receiver in the destination country |
How shipping is priced: chargeable weight
Couriers bill on the greater of the parcel’s actual weight and its size-based weight. For international courier, size-based weight is length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 5000. A large, light box can cost more than its scale weight suggests, so measure your packed box before you buy.
Indicative shipping rates from Cape Town
Each price shows Economy / Priority. Economy takes 7 to 10 business days and Priority takes 4 to 6.
| Destination | 1 to 2 kg | 3 to 5 kg | 6 to 10 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands | R1,500 / R2,200 | R1,900 / R2,750 | R2,800 / R4,100 |
| United States, Canada | R1,650 / R2,400 | R2,100 / R3,050 | R3,100 / R4,500 |
| Australia | R1,750 / R2,550 | R2,200 / R3,200 | R3,300 / R4,800 |
| United Arab Emirates | R1,600 / R2,300 | R2,000 / R2,900 | R2,900 / R4,200 |
| Kenya, Zimbabwe | R1,800 / R2,600 | R2,300 / R3,350 | R3,400 / R4,900 |
Indicative prices as at 17 October 2026. We confirm the final price once we measure your parcel. Fuel surcharges and remote-area fees may apply, and destination duties and taxes are extra. For other countries, ask us on WhatsApp.
Worked example: clothing to the UK
A box of tracksuit pants and slippers from two shops, worth about R1,500, packed at 400 × 250 × 160 mm and weighing 1.6 kg.
- Size-based weight: 40 × 25 × 16 cm = 16,000 cm³, divided by 5000 = 3.2 kg.
- Chargeable weight: 3.2 kg, because it is greater than the 1.6 kg actual weight.
- UK rate for 3 to 5 kg: R1,900 Economy or R2,750 Priority.
- Handling: two parcels, one per shop, at R150 each = R300.
| Economy (7 to 10 days) | Priority (4 to 6 days) | |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping, 3 to 5 kg to the UK | R1,900 | R2,750 |
| Handling, 2 parcels | R300 | R300 |
| Estimated total | R2,200 | R3,050 |
This total leaves out UK duties and taxes, which the receiver pays, and the quote for combining the two parcels into one box. Shipping is priced on weight and size, not on what the goods cost, so work out the shipping before you buy a small order.
What you can and can’t forward
You can buy clothing, homeware, art and craft, books and gifts from South African shops and have them forwarded. Some goods have limits:
- Never forwarded: illegal drugs, firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, counterfeit goods, asbestos, cash, live animals and human remains.
- Forwarded with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS): batteries, aerosols, perfume and other liquids, paint and chemicals. Lithium batteries also need a UN 38.3 test summary. See exactly what we need.
- Need a permit or licence first, which you arrange: goods containing CITES-regulated materials such as certain exotic woods, furs or coral; items over 100 years old that count as cultural property under South African heritage law; and wine or alcohol, which needs an SA export licence.
- Ask us first: food, coffee, sauces and plant products. These often need health or plant permits, in South Africa and at the destination.
If you are unsure about an item, ask us before you order.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SA Shopper Address?
It is a personal South African address and locker number at JLog's warehouse in Woodstock, Cape Town. You use it as the delivery address when you buy from South African shops. We receive your parcels, combine them if you like, and forward them to you anywhere in the world.
Is there a sign-up fee?
No. Signing up is free. You pay R150 handling for each parcel we receive, plus international shipping when you ship.
Where do I put my locker number?
Right after your surname in the name field, for example Your Name GS-1234, and in address line 1: Unit 12C (GS-1234). Couriers print the name on every label, but they often cut extra address lines. We receive parcels for many customers at the same address, and your locker number is how we match each parcel to you. Without it, we may not be able to match the parcel to your account. Send us a pre-alert for every order: store, order number, tracking number, contents, value.
Can JLog buy items for me?
No. You buy directly from the South African shop and pay it yourself. The shop delivers to your JLog address.
Can I combine orders from different South African shops?
Yes. Have every order delivered to your JLog address and we combine them into one export shipment, so you pay one international shipping charge. We quote each combined shipment.
How long can I leave parcels at your warehouse?
Storage is free for 7 to 14 days while you shop and combine orders.
How much does it cost to ship from South Africa to the UK?
Indicative prices from Cape Town to the UK are R1,500 Economy or R2,200 Priority for 1 to 2 kg, R1,900 or R2,750 for 3 to 5 kg, and R2,800 or R4,100 for 6 to 10 kg. Shipping is priced on chargeable weight, and we confirm the final price once we measure your parcel. Handling of R150 per parcel is extra.
How long does delivery take?
Priority delivery takes 4 to 6 business days and Economy takes 7 to 10 business days, both subject to customs in your country. A combined shipment usually leaves within 48 hours of you telling us you are ready. A single parcel usually leaves the same or next day.
Who pays import duties and taxes?
The receiver pays any import duties and taxes charged in the destination country. Your country's customs authority sets them, and they depend on the goods and their value. Our shipping prices do not include them.
What can't be forwarded?
Never forwarded: illegal drugs, firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, counterfeit goods, asbestos, cash, live animals and human remains. Batteries, aerosols, perfume and other liquids, paint and chemicals are forwarded only with a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS), and lithium batteries also need a UN 38.3 test summary. Goods with CITES-regulated materials, items over 100 years old that count as cultural property, and wine or alcohol need a permit or licence that you arrange first. Ask us first about food, coffee, sauces and plant products: these often need health or plant permits, in South Africa and at the destination.
Is shipping insurance available?
Yes, and it is optional. The premium is 2.1% of the goods value plus the courier cost plus 10%, with an excess of R2,500 per claim. For R10,000 of goods and R2,000 courier cost, the premium is R277.20.
How do I pay?
By EFT, international wire transfer, or debit or credit card. We bill in South African rand.
Can I return an item to the South African shop?
Yes, on request. We quote the return shipping.
Get your SA address. It’s free.
Sign up and start shopping from South African stores. We reply within 4 business hours.
Prefer to ask first? Email info@jlog.co.za or call 021 300 6099.
Related guides