Free storage ends. Bonded storage starts.
The terminal stores an import free for a few days, then charges every day, and Customs counts from the day it landed. Check your dates. Then we take it out under bond to our SARS-licensed depot, or into bonded storage.
- Licensed depotSARS-accredited since 2015
- In bondLicensed remover of goods
- 2 citiesBonded storage, Jhb and Durban
Out before the free days run out.
- 01
Landed
The terminal’s free days start at 00h01 the day after discharge. After them, storage runs every day.
- 02
Out in bond
Before they run out, we take it out under bond, as a licensed remover of goods in bond.
- 03
At our depot
It waits at our SARS-licensed depot in Germiston, overstays included, until it’s released.
- 04
Bonded storage
Unpacked under customs control into bonded or duty-free storage, so the box can go back sooner.
Request a storage quote
Your container
Step 1 of 7- Cargo
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- Now at
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- Customs
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- Need
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- Goes to
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- Free time ends
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- Clock check
- Optional
The clock on an import
The terminal stores an import free for a few days, counted from 00h01 the day after it’s discharged until it leaves the gate. Then storage runs every day, and Customs counts from the day it landed. These are the free days in the 2026 tariff books.
Free at the terminal
- 3 daysDurban Pier 1, general containers
- 5 daysDGT, general, from 1 October 2026
- 2 or 3 daysDurban reefers: 2 from May to October
- 2 or 3 daysHazardous; some classes none at all
- 5 daysCity Deep, rail containers
Our side of it
- SARS-licensed depotGermiston, accredited in 2015
- Remover in bondBond guarantee lodged with customs
- Bonded storageJohannesburg and Durban, duty-free too
- 20 plug pointsReefers wait powered at the depot
- Hazchem sectionAccredited by Ekurhuleni
After the free days
In Durban a 20 ft pays R2,698 for the first day of storage, then R4,391 a day; a 40 ft R5,396, then R8,773 (tariff rates, before VAT). It runs whatever the reason, customs holds included.
Day 28
Goods not entered within 28 days of landing go to the State warehouse or a place Customs names, and State warehouse rent runs. Still not entered 60 days later, Customs may sell them.
72 hours
Delivery instructions are due within 72 hours of discharge. Without them, the terminal may move the box in bond to a licensed depot of its choosing, at your risk and cost.
Where we operate
Our SARS-licensed depot is at 69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston, about 5 km from City Deep, with 20 reefer plug points and a hazchem section on site. Our bonded and duty-free storage is in Johannesburg and Durban, and we move containers in bond from Durban’s port up the N3.
- Germiston depot69–71 Barlow Road, Jupiter, Germiston 011 873 4786
- Durban · Greyville81 Berea Road, Greyville, Durban 031 305 0438
Part of Shipping & General Transport
Shipping & General Transport is a privately owned South African logistics company built on trustworthiness, perseverance and reliability. Bonded and Free Storage is one of its specialist services: containers moved in bond by a licensed remover, held at its SARS-licensed depot and stored in bond, from one company.
Visit shippingandgeneral.co.zaFree storage and bond questions
Can’t find your answer? Our team is a phone call away.
Call 011 873 4786How many free days does my container get?
It depends on the terminal and the box. In the 2026 tariff book, Durban Pier 1 gives general imports 3 days. DGT (the former Pier 2) gives general containers 5 days on ships berthing from 1 October 2026, and plans to come back down to 3. Reefers in Durban get 3 days, or 2 from 1 May to 31 October. Rail containers at City Deep get 5. The clock check on this page works it out from your dates.
When does the count start?
At 00h01 on the day after the container is discharged, and it runs until the container leaves the gate. Storage is charged from 06h00 on the day after the last free day.
What does storage cost after that?
In Durban, a general 20 ft pays R2,698 for the first day of storage, then R4,391 a day. A 40 ft pays R5,396, then R8,773, and a 45 ft R8,100, then R13,159. These are tariff rates, before VAT. Storage runs whatever the reason, even while Customs holds the box.
What happens if I don’t give delivery instructions in time?
Delivery instructions are due within 72 hours of discharge; for an uncleared box, that means in-bond delivery instructions. Without them, the terminal may move the container in bond to a licensed depot of its choosing, at your risk and cost.
What happens at 28 days?
Goods in a container that haven’t been entered within 28 days of landing go to the State warehouse, or to a place Customs names, which then counts as one. State warehouse rent runs for the time they stay, and they only come out after customs clearance.
Can Customs sell my goods?
Yes. If goods are still not entered 60 days after they’re moved to the State warehouse, or the place Customs named, Customs may sell them. The money pays the duty, SARS’s costs and State warehouse rent first; the port, then the container and depot operators, come after.
Can you move a container that isn’t cleared yet?
Yes. We’re a licensed remover of goods in bond, with a road bond guarantee lodged with customs, so we can take it out of the terminal under bond. It waits at our SARS-licensed depot in Germiston, overstays included, until it’s released.
What’s the difference between your depot and bonded storage?
Our depot holds the container under customs control until it’s released. Bonded storage is for goods entered for warehousing: we store them in bond in Johannesburg or Durban, and duty and VAT wait until they’re entered for home use. We also offer duty-free storage.
Does this stop the shipping line’s charges?
Not by itself. The line’s demurrage and detention are separate, on its own free days. Unpacking uncleared cargo at our depot can free the container sooner, which may cut detention.
What if it’s a reefer, hazardous, or stopped by customs?
A reefer can wait on one of our 20 plug points at the depot. Some hazardous classes may not be stored at the terminal at all, and our Germiston depot has a hazchem section accredited by Ekurhuleni. If Customs stops it, we move it to our depot, or one you nominate, for the exam.
What do you need from me, and what does it cost?
The container number, where it is, the landing date, its customs status and your clearing agent’s details. We don’t publish prices: answer the seven short questions in the quote form and we’ll quote on your actual container.
Tell us where it’s waiting.
Seven short questions, plus the clock check if you like. No prices online, just a quote on your actual container.
