South Africa duty-free allowance

Your duty-free allowance is what you can bring into South Africawithout paying import duty or tax. Anything above it must be declared at customs and is taxed. The figures below were checked on 2026-07-31 against the official customs source, linked on the card.

Alcohol

3 L

2 L wine + 1 L other · 18+

Full rule

2 litres wine + 1 litre total other alcoholic beverages per person, age 18+

Tobacco

200 cigarettes

+ 20 cigars + 250 g

Full rule

200 cigarettes + 20 cigars + 250g cigarette/pipe tobacco per person, age 18+

Goods & gifts

ZAR 5,000

then 20% flat rate

Full rule

R 5,000 new/used goods in accompanied baggage; PLUS optional flat-rate band: next R 20,000 assessed at 20% duty (total not exceeding R 25,000 incl consumables)

Cash · declare from

ZAR 25,000+

commonly cited · USD 10,000 foreign

Full rule

declaration required on arrival; exact thresholds live in a separate SARB/SARS policy doc (commonly cited: ZAR 25,000 SA notes / USD 10,000 foreign) - not on the opened page

Depends on: allowance available once per 30 days and only after 48+ hours absence; under-18s get no alcohol/tobacco allowance

Good to know

the 20% flat-rate band above the free allowance is a useful middle tier most countries lack; 30-day/48-hour double condition matters for frequent regional travelers

From South Africa's official customs guidance, checked 2026-07-31 ·verify at the source · Guidance, not law — allowances change and the customs officer has the final say. Verify before you fly.

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