SPECIALIST FRAGILE GOODS SHIPPING · CAPE TOWN
Fragile goods shipping,
done properly
Standard couriers treat every box the same. JLog doesn’t. We handle ceramics, glassware, fine art, designer furniture, and luxury goods with careful packing and a two-person crew for oversized and high-value pieces.
Local Cape Town delivery · Domestic South Africa · International worldwide, except sanctioned destinations
Get a fragile goods quote →Why standard couriers fail fragile goods
Industry breakage rates on fragile goods shipped via standard couriers run between 3% and 5%. For a ceramics brand shipping 200 orders a month, that is 6 to 10 broken pieces — each one costing the replacement, the return freight, the customer apology, and the lost repeat sale.
The problem is structural. Standard courier networks are built for volume — conveyor belts, automated sorters, stacked pallets, and handlers moving hundreds of parcels an hour. Fragile stickers are advisory. No one is checking.
JLog is built differently. Fragile goods are our core business, not an exception to our volume flow. We pack in our own warehouse and crating workshop in Woodstock, and our own vehicles and crews do the collection and delivery.
What we ship
Ceramics and pottery
Hand-thrown bowls, plates, mugs, vases, sculptural pieces. Each item is wrapped and cushioned separately so pieces don’t knock against each other, then packed in a strong box.
Glassware and crystal
Glasses, decanters, lighting, glass sculpture. Cell-pack dividers for sets. Individual foam wrapping for statement pieces. Double-wall corrugated outer box minimum.
Fine art — prints and paintings
Framed and unframed. Glassine interleaving for unframed prints. Corner protection and foam edging for framed works. Stretched canvas shipped glazed-face-forward, never stacked.
Sculpture
Sculpture is crated individually in a foam-lined plywood crate, with foam or cleats holding the piece in place.
Designer furniture and lighting
Blanket wrap for upholstered pieces, and a foam-lined plywood crate for international shipment. Two-person handling.
Luxury goods and collectibles
Watches, jewellery, antiques, silverware. Packed discreetly, with the value declared on the paperwork for insurance and customs.
The JLog fragile packing method
Fragile goods fail under four conditions: impact (a drop), vibration (sustained movement), compression (weight stacked on top), and temperature change. Our packing method addresses all four.
What it costs
Fragile goods handling is priced based on item size, weight, packing complexity, and destination. Below are typical ranges. We reply within 4 business hours.
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Fragile packing — small item (ceramics, glassware) | R85 – R180 per item |
| Fragile packing — medium item (framed art, sculpture) | R180 – R450 per item |
| Fragile packing — large item (furniture, large sculpture) | R450 – R950 per item |
| Custom timber crate (high-value or international) | From R1,500 — see crating |
| Dedicated Cape Town trip (our own vehicle, a driver and a helper) | From R950 per trip, per vehicle (VAT incl.) |
| Domestic SA courier (fragile spec) | From R350 per consignment |
| International air freight — ceramics, Cape Town to UK | From R850 per kg (FedEx/DHL direct) |
| International air freight — art, Cape Town to USA | From R950 per kg (FedEx/DHL direct) |
Domestic vs international — what changes
Within Cape Town
Items travel in our own vehicles, handled by our own team. Two-person handling for anything oversized or high-value. Blanket wrap is standard for furniture and large art.
Domestic South Africa
Specialist fragile courier via our Bob Go multi-carrier account. We select the carrier per consignment based on fragility, size, and value. Items are not consolidated with general freight.
International
Air freight via FedEx or DHL direct. Fragile or valuable pieces going abroad travel in a foam-lined plywood crate, which is exempt from ISPM-15. Export documentation and SARS clearance handled in-house.
Who trusts us with their fragile goods
JLog is the official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair — responsible every year for crating, transporting, and delivering high-value, irreplaceable works for galleries and dealers across South Africa.
We ship fragile goods for ceramicists, glass artists, interior designers, furniture makers, gallery owners, auction houses, and private collectors.
Get a fragile goods quote
Tell us what you’re shipping, where it’s going, and the dimensions and value. We’ll reply within 4 business hours. Sea and air freight quotes follow as soon as our carriers confirm rates.
WhatsApp: +27 72 312 3034 · Email: info@jlog.co.za · Phone: 021 300 6099
Woodstock, Cape Town · 10 minutes from the port · Nationwide collection available
Get a fragile goods quote →Related services
- Custom crating → — for items that need a timber crate rather than standard fragile packing
- Art and luxury shipping → — specialist art logistics, including ATA carnet shipments
- White-glove delivery Cape Town → — two-person handling and careful placement
- Export from South Africa → — full SARS export clearance and international freight
- Import duty calculator → — calculate landed cost before you ship internationally