What a freight forwarder does
A freight forwarder organises the whole journey of your goods — collection, paperwork, the air or sea leg, customs clearance and final delivery — so you deal with one company instead of an airline, a shipping line, a customs broker and a local courier separately. Rolats has done exactly this on the UK to Africa corridor since 2007, combining the freight and the customs knowledge in a single accountable point of contact.
Air and sea under one roof
Choose air freight at £5.90/kg plus £20 handling when speed matters — urgent, fragile or high-value items reaching African hubs in days. Choose sea cargo from £70 per bag for bulk — barrels, boxes, furniture, vehicles and full containers — where timing is flexible. Many shipments use both: the urgent items fly while the bulk follows by sea. We'll advise the cheaper route for each part of your load.
Customs clearance done properly
As an HMRC Customs Authorised and EORI-registered forwarder, Rolats raises the UK-side documentation correctly and coordinates clearance at destination — Form M and SONCAP for Nigeria, ICUMS for Ghana, ECTN tracking notes for many West and Central African corridors. Getting the paperwork right at origin is what keeps cargo moving rather than held at the port or airport.
True door-to-door
We collect from any UK address into our Dagenham depot, ship, clear customs and deliver to the recipient's actual door across around 45 African countries — not just to the port or airport. You pay once, all-in, in GBP, with no surprise charges billed to your family at the African end.
Why forward freight with Rolats
Pan-African specialists since 2007, a Dagenham depot, air and sea capability, customs-savvy clearance and genuine door-to-door delivery — all under one all-in GBP quote. Strong on the Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe corridors, with services right across the continent.