How much does sea cargo to Africa cost?
Sea freight starts from £70 per bag — call or email us for a quote on your exact load, because barrels, boxes, furniture and vehicles each price differently and the destination corridor matters. Full 20ft and 40ft containers are priced on application (POA), as is car shipping (UK to Africa only). Everything is quoted all-in, in GBP: there are no surprise charges billed to your family at the African end. Send your item list and destination town for an exact figure.
LCL/groupage vs a full container (FCL)
LCL (groupage) means you share container space and pay for the portion you use — ideal for a few barrels, boxes or items of furniture, and where our £70/bag pricing shines. FCL gives you a dedicated 20ft or 40ft container — the better value once you're moving a household, a car plus effects, or commercial volume. Not sure which fits? Tell us what you're sending and we'll recommend the cheaper option.
How long does sea cargo to Africa take?
Sea transit is measured in weeks, not days — the exact window depends on the route, the destination port and any transshipment, plus customs clearance and inland delivery at the far end. We give you a realistic, corridor-specific window per shipment rather than a single headline number, and we flag when port congestion may extend it.
What can you send by sea?
Barrels and boxes, personal effects and full household removals, furniture and white goods, commercial stock and machinery, building materials, and vehicles (cars, vans, SUVs — UK to Africa only). Sea is the natural home for anything bulky, heavy or non-urgent. We'll tell you what's restricted in your destination country before you pack.
Door-to-door, not just port-to-port
Many forwarders quote you to the port and leave the rest to you. Rolats collects from any UK address into our Dagenham depot, ships, clears customs and delivers to the recipient's actual door in Africa. As HMRC Customs Authorised and EORI-registered specialists, we raise the UK-side paperwork so your cargo isn't the one held at the quay.
Why ship sea cargo with Rolats?
From £70/bag, LCL and FCL under one roof, true door-to-door, and all-in GBP pricing into around 45 African countries since 2007. Strong on the Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe corridors, with sea services across West, East, Central and Southern Africa.