A clearing agent handles the customs side — declarations to SARS, duty and VAT, tariff classification, inspections. A freight forwarder arranges the physical movement — booking space with shipping lines or airlines, port handling, delivery. Everest Shipping does both under one roof, so you get one point of contact and one itemised invoice for the whole shipment.

Yes — small accounts are welcome. There’s no minimum shipment size. One pallet or fifty containers, you’re a real client, and if it’s your first import we’ll walk you through the documents and duties before you commit to anything.

It depends on the cargo, its value and the complexity of the entry — which is why we don’t publish a flat rate. What we do promise is that our quote itemises everything: customs duty, VAT, port or airline handling, transport and our clearing fee, with the actual landed cost figure at the bottom. Send us your invoice and packing list and you’ll have that quote the same working day.

If you’re not sure, tell us what you’re shipping and where it’s coming from or going to — that’s enough. Most imports need sea freight or air freight plus customs clearance; slow-moving stock benefits from bonded warehousing; oversized machinery is project cargo. We’ll route it for you.