Ship artwork from Cape Town and South Africa
JLog crates, collects, clears and ships fine art from Cape Town to galleries, collectors and art fairs abroad. We build the crate in our own workshop in Woodstock, file the SARS export declaration as your licensed clearing agent, and send the work by courier, air freight or sea freight.
Send us the size, value and destination. We reply within 4 business hours, either with your quote or with the one or two questions we still need. Sea and air freight quotes take longer, because carrier rates have to be requested.
Two things stay with the owner or exporter: any heritage permit, and any wildlife (CITES) permit. We ship once the permit is in place.
Official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair.
Who does what
| Step | JLog | You (owner, gallery or buyer) |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | Soft packing or a crate, built in our Woodstock workshop | Drop the work off at the workshop by appointment, or let us collect it |
| Collection | We collect with our own vehicles in Cape Town. Elsewhere in South Africa, collection is arranged through partners | Tell us where the work is and when it can be collected |
| Export clearance | We file the SARS export declaration as your licensed customs clearing agent | Send the invoice details and a description of the work |
| Heritage permit (SAHRA) | We tell you what we need to see | You apply, if the work qualifies. We ship once the permit is in place |
| Wildlife material (CITES) | We ship once the permit is in place | The owner or exporter applies for the permit with DFFE |
| Transport | We book courier (FedEx, DHL Express) or air and sea freight through forwarder partners | Tell us the deadline |
| Duty and VAT at the destination | We tell you what to ask the buyer’s side to expect | The buyer or consignee normally pays, unless you agree otherwise |
| Insurance | We carry goods-in-transit insurance (details on request) | Ask us what applies to your piece. Decide if you need separate cover |
Soft packing or a crate?
Soft packing is wrapping and padding for small, lower-risk items. It starts below about R85 for small items.
A crate is the safer choice for anything valuable, anything fragile that cannot be re-made, or any work going by air or sea freight, where it will be handled many times. Our crates start from R1,500. We build plywood crates and stamped ISPM-15 timber crates.
- Standard crates are usually built in 1 to 3 working days. Oversized crates take 3 to 5 working days. Rush builds are by arrangement.
- Many countries require solid-timber packaging to be heat-treated and stamped to the ISPM-15 standard. Plywood is generally treated differently. Tell us the destination and we will say which applies.
- We do not crate at your premises. You can bring the work to our Woodstock workshop by appointment, or we collect it (Cape Town) and crate it here.
- If you would rather pack the work yourself, we can send you an empty, ready-made, foam-lined crate anywhere in South Africa.
Our view: pack for the route, not only for the piece. A painting that goes by courier needs different protection from the same painting going by air freight, because it will be handled many more times. We would rather tell you a crate is overkill than sell you one you do not need.
Courier, air or sea?
| Courier (FedEx or DHL Express) | Air freight | Sea freight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Works that fit the carrier’s size and weight limits | Large crates, several works to one destination, tight deadlines | Large collections, estates, no rush |
| Speed | The fastest option for small works, with tracking | Faster than sea, slower to arrange than courier | Weeks, not days |
| What to know | Carrier limits vary by service. We check them against your piece | Charged on whichever is greater, the real or the volumetric weight | Timber crates may need ISPM-15 treatment. Allow for port schedules |
| Quote | Usually fastest to quote | Takes longer: rates must be requested | Takes longer: rates must be requested |
If you are not sure, send us the dimensions and the deadline and we will recommend one.
Paperwork for exporting art
- Commercial invoice. Artist, title, medium, year, dimensions, value in the sale currency and country of origin (South Africa).
- Customs classification. Original art is classified in Chapter 97 of the tariff: paintings, drawings and pastels in heading 9701, original prints in 9702 and original sculpture in 9703. Our guide to art HS codes (Chapter 97) explains each.
- SARS export declaration. We file it for you.
- SAHRA heritage permit, only if the work qualifies. Under South Africa’s heritage rules, paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and applied art that have been in South Africa for 50 years or more are protected, and so are furniture, carpets and clothing older than 100 years. Anything made by a living person falls outside those categories. If your work qualifies, you apply to SAHRA on its online system. SAHRA can refuse a permanent export permit for an object of outstanding national importance. SAHRA does not guarantee a turnaround, so apply early. This is a summary, not legal advice: SAHRA decides. See our guide to the SAHRA permit.
- CITES, only where the work contains protected wildlife material (ivory, some shells, some feathers and skins). The owner or exporter applies with DFFE. We ship once the permit is in place.
- ATA carnet, for art fairs and loans that come back. A carnet avoids duty on works that return to South Africa. See ATA carnets.
- Duty and VAT at the destination. Art is usually duty-free or low-duty on import, but VAT or sales tax varies. As one example, the UK charges an effective 5% import VAT on works of art (HMRC). Other countries differ, so ask us for the destination you need.
Insurance and condition reports
We carry goods-in-transit insurance (details on request). For high-value work, ask us what cover applies to your piece and whether you should arrange separate all-risks cover. Declare the true value: a low figure may leave you short in a claim.
Condition reports are available on request. You can also photograph the work yourself before it is wrapped: front, back, corners and any existing marks.
Art fairs
JLog is the official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair. If you are shipping for a fair, contact us as early as you can. Tell us the fair’s receiving date, whether works come back unsold, and whether you need a carnet.
Storage before or after shipping
We store artworks and sculptures in our Woodstock warehouse, before they ship or after a fair. The warehouse has 24-hour armed response, CCTV and a boom-gate entrance. You should insure your own works while they are in storage with us. We do not run climate-controlled storage. If your work needs it, tell us and we can arrange a specialist provider.
What decides your price
- Size and weight of the packed work
- Soft packing or a crate, and the crate size
- Courier, air or sea, and how fast it must arrive
- Where it is collected from, and where it is going
- Declared value, which affects insurance and customs
- Whether a permit or carnet is needed
- Whether the work comes back (fairs, loans, unsold works)
We do not publish a single shipping price for art, because the same painting can cost very different amounts depending on the points above. We quote each job.
What to send us for a quote
Artist and title, medium, dimensions (height × width × depth in cm), weight if you know it, whether it is framed or already crated, declared value, where it is and where it is going, the date you need it there, and a photo if you have one. If the work is more than 50 years old or by an artist who has died, say so, because it may need a permit.
Request an art shipping quote
Tell us the piece, where it is going and when. We reply within 4 business hours; sea and air freight quotes take longer because carrier rates must be requested.
We reply within 4 business hours. For urgent enquiries call 021 300 6099 or WhatsApp +27 72 312 3034.
Questions we are asked
How much does it cost to ship a painting from Cape Town?
It depends on size, packing, route and speed, so we quote each job. Soft packing for small items starts below about R85 and crates start from R1,500, before transport. Send the dimensions, value and destination and we reply within 4 business hours.
Do I need a permit to export artwork from South Africa?
Only if the work falls into a protected heritage category. Paintings and sculpture that have been in South Africa for 50 years or more may need a SAHRA permit. Work made by a living artist falls outside those categories. If you are unsure, send us the details and we will say what we would check. The permit is yours to apply for.
Can you pack my art at my home or studio?
We do not crate at your premises. You can bring the work to our Woodstock workshop by appointment, or we collect it in Cape Town and crate it at the workshop. We can also send you an empty foam-lined crate to pack yourself.
Can you collect from outside Cape Town?
Yes, but collection outside Cape Town is arranged through partners.
How long does it take?
Standard crates take 1 to 3 working days to build. Courier is the quickest way to move a small work. Air freight and sea freight take longer, and sea takes weeks. We confirm timings when we quote.
Who pays import duty and VAT?
Usually the buyer or consignee. Original art is often duty-free on import, but VAT or sales tax varies by country. Ask us about your destination.
Do you provide condition reports?
On request.
Can you store my artwork?
Yes, before shipping or after a fair, in our Woodstock warehouse. You insure your own works while they are stored with us.
Ship Artwork with JLog
JLog is Cape Town’s specialist art logistics provider and the official carrier for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair. Based in Woodstock — 10 minutes from the Cape Town CBD and major galleries.
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Author: Gerrit Dyman, Managing Director, JLog