"Detty December" is the festive season when the diaspora floods back to Lagos, Accra and across West Africa for weddings, concerts and family — and ships home gifts, barrels and goods. The shipping rule is simple: sea cargo takes 6–8 weeks, so book by October to land before Christmas; air freight has a mid-December cut-off. Leave it late and your goods miss the party.
What is Detty December?
"Detty December" (from Nigerian pidgin, roughly "dirty"/no-holds-barred December) is the now-iconic festive season across Nigeria, Ghana and the wider West African scene — a month of weddings, concerts, beach parties, homecomings and full-throttle celebration. Every December, hundreds of thousands of diaspora travellers fly into Lagos and Accra, and just as many who can't travel send the next best thing: gifts, food, clothes and barrels home to family. It has become one of the busiest periods of the year for UK-to-Africa shipping — which is exactly why timing matters.
The shipping rule: book by October for sea cargo
Here is the part people get wrong. Sea freight from the UK to West Africa typically takes around 6–8 weeks door-to-door, once you account for collection, consolidation, the voyage, customs clearance and final delivery. Counting back from Christmas, that means your sea cargo — barrels, Ghana Must Go bags, boxes, furniture — should be booked and dropped with us by early-to-mid October to land comfortably before the festivities. December is also peak season, so depots, ports and customs are all at their busiest; the earlier you book, the safer your timeline. Exact cut-off dates are set each year, so contact us to confirm the current deadline.
Air freight: the mid-December lifeline
If you've missed the sea deadline, air freight is the fast option — days rather than weeks — perfect for gifts, documents, electronics and last-minute parcels. But air space also fills up fast in December, and there is a cut-off in mid-December after which we can't guarantee pre-Christmas delivery. Rolats air freight runs at £5.90/kg plus £20 handling, all-in GBP. If Christmas delivery is critical, talk to us early and we'll tell you the honest last-safe date for your destination.
What to send home for Detty December
Popular Detty December cargo, from years of doing this:
- Barrels of provisions — rice, oil, drinks, tinned and dry foods for the family table.
- Clothes, shoes and fabric — new outfits for the season, often in Ghana Must Go bags.
- Electronics & appliances — phones, TVs, sound systems, generators (check customs rules first).
- Gifts & toys for children, and gift hampers for relatives.
- Building materials or a car — some send big-ticket items home while shipping is already arranged.
Ship your Detty December cargo with Rolats
From our Dagenham depot we ship to Nigeria, Ghana and around 45 African countries by sea (from £70 per bag) and air (£5.90/kg plus £20 handling) — call or email for a quote. We collect across the UK, handle the customs paperwork as an HMRC Customs Authorised forwarder, and deliver door-to-door so your family receives everything in time to celebrate. Don't wait — October is the safe window for sea.