Postal Services Act, 1998 (Act No. 124 of 1998)Fees and Charges for Postal Services 20111.4. International mail |
International letter and parcel services are available worldwide, either by airmail or surface mail. These services may be accessed by posting either at post offices or by posting in street posting boxes. The available range of services includes:
Product |
Description |
Aerogrammes |
Special prepaid air-mail letters consisting of one lightweight folded sheet of paper that can be sealed. No enclosures are permitted |
Postcards |
Convenient conveyance of unenclosed messages and greetings |
Small letters |
Consists of private and business letters up to 50 g and no bigger than 120 x 235 x 5mm |
Medium letters |
Consists of private and business letters up to 250 g and no bigger than 250 x 176 x 10mm |
Large letters |
Consists of private and business letters up to 300 g and no bigger than 353 x 250 x 30mm |
Small parcels |
For small quantities of low-mass goods under 2 kg at a lower rate and with customs declarations than for large parcels |
Large parcels |
For the conveyance of goods and material up to 30 kg. The maximum mass differs from country to country. |
Registered mail |
A separately streamed service with added security for letter post items |
Direct publishers bags (M Bags) |
The economical conveyance by air mail or surface mail of printed matter to the same addressee at the same address. A minimum rate for 5 kg applies to each bag. The mass of each item in the bag must not be more than 2 kg. |
Special value-added services
Value can be added to basic international mail services by buying additional value-added services. These include express delivery, registered, insured and advice-of-delivery (AR) options. As these add-on services are not available to some countries or for some categories of mail, enquiries should be made at post offices to find out if they are available for your purposes. Insured and registered items must be posted at post office counters and not in street post-boxes.
International reply coupons
The international reply coupon service enables customers to repay the postage on a reply from a correspondent abroad.
Coupons sent abroad may be exchanged for one or more postage stamps representing the minimum postage pre-payable on an air-mail letter. The coupons cost R19.90 and are available at post offices.
Exchange control regulations
Exchange control regulations apply equally to postal items as they do to other exports. Generally, items of a value of more than R1 000,00 require specific export documents to be completed. Details are available at post offices.
Customs declarations
The type and extent of customs declarations are regulated by the statutes of the Universal Postal Union and the requirements of destination countries. The following basic requirements are stipulated for the various mail categories.
ARTICLE/CONTENTS |
CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED |
Letter post items and small parcels |
|
Letters not containing merchandise, aerogrammes, greeting cards and postcards |
No customs documentation is required |
Letters and letter packets containing merchandise or goods, printed matter consignments and small parcels up to 2 kg with contents under R2 000 in value |
Attach a fully completed CN22 green customs sticker |
Letters and letter packets containing merchandise or goods, printed matter consignments and small parcels up to 2 kg with contents over R2 000 in value |
Attach customs forms appropriate to the country of destination. Consult the list overleaf or check with your local post office for details |
Direct publishers bags (M Bags) |
|
Up to R2 000 in value |
Attach a fully completed CN22 sticker |
Over R2 000 in value |
Attach CN22 and CN23 |
Large parcels (parcels over 2 kg) |
|
All large parcels |
CN23, CP71 or PP4 as required for individual destinations. Consult the list overleaf or check with your local post office or details |
Letter post rates *(all prices shown in Rand)
Category |
Air mail |
Surface Mail |
Maximum size |
Maximum thickness |
Minimum mass |
Maximum mass |
||
|
Southern Africa |
Rest of world |
Southern Africa |
Rest of world |
|
|
|
|
Aerograms (per item) |
3.80 |
3.80 |
|
|
120 x 235mm |
No enclosures permitted |
10g |
|
Postcards (per item) |
5.10 |
5.10 |
3.10 |
3.10 |
120 x 235mm |
Must not be enveloped |
10g |
|
Small letters (per item) |
4.50 |
6.00 |
3.85 |
5.05 |
120 x 235mm |
5mm |
|
50g |
Medium letters (per item) |
16.75 |
20.10 |
13.50 |
15.25 |
250 x 176mm |
10mm |
|
250g |
Large letters (per item) |
26.00 |
34.15 |
21.20 |
22.85 |
353 x 250mm |
30mm |
|
300g |
Small parcels (per 100 grams) |
14.65 |
25.95 |
11.35 |
13.00 |
Length, width and depth combined not exceed 900mm, nor the greatest dimension to exceed 600mm** |
2Kg |
||
Direct publishers bags (per kg) |
55.85 |
159.80 |
27.90 |
33.50 |
Length + girth not to exceed 2m maximum length not to exceed 1.05m |
5kg |
20Kg |
|
Registration fee (per item) |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
|
|
|
|
Express delivery fee (per item) |
27.10 |
27.10 |
27.10 |
27.10 |
|
|
|
|
International reply coupon IRC020001 |
19.85 |
19.85 |
19.85 |
19.85 |
|
|
|
|
Value-added services
Category |
Air mail |
Surface mail |
||
|
Southern Africa |
Rest of world |
Southern Africa |
Rest of world |
Registration fee |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
Registration-M BG |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
23.95 |
Express delivery fee |
27.10 |
27.10 |
27.10 |
27.10 |
Note: International letter post products have no insurance option and may only be registered.
* Enquire at your local post office for details of any service suspensions.
# Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Congo (Dem Rep), Congo (Peoples Rep), Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
** If in roll form, length plus twice the diameter not to exceed 1040 mm, nor the greatest dimension to exceed 900 mm
*** A minimum rate for 5 kg applies
Large parcel rates (all prices shown in Rand)
PARCEL CHARGING ZONE |
AIR MAIL |
SURFACE MAIL |
|||
|
Zone Coverage |
Rate per parcel |
Plus rate per 100g or part thereof |
Rate per parcel |
Plus rate per 100g or part thereof |
Zone A |
Botswana, Comoros, Kenya, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Ascension and St Helena |
94.20 |
2.85 |
89.45 |
1.10 |
Zone B |
Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe |
139.00 |
3.60 |
139.00 |
2.25 |
Zone C |
Northern Africa and the Middle East. Major destinations in this zone include Israel, Nigeria, and Ghana. |
139.00 |
12.95 |
129.45 |
3.60 |
Zone D |
Europe, Russian Federation and former USSR states. Major destinations in this zone include Austria, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland. |
143.75 |
11.85 |
135.80 |
2.55 |
Zone E |
Americas and the Caribbean (except Canada). Major destinations in this zone include the United States of America |
107.00 |
18.50 |
107.00 |
4.05 |
Zone F |
Asia Pacific and Canada. Major destinations in this zone include Australia, Canada, China, Japan and New Zealand. |
102.15 |
16.55 |
99.95 |
2.50 |
# An expanded list of the countries and their charging zones is provided overleaf together with information concerning customs documentation required for those countries. Information concerning countries not listed can be obtained from your local post office.
Charging zones for letters and parcels and customs documentation requirements for parcels
This table can be found in Government Gazette No. 33953 dated 21 January 2011.