What students send — and which way
Whether you're a UK student heading to study in Africa or an African student arriving in the UK, we move clothes, books and study materials, bedding, kitchen items, laptops and small electronics, and personal effects. The service runs both directions — UK to Africa and Africa to UK — so it covers the start of term and the journey home. Send us a box list and we'll tell you the cheapest way to ship it.
A cheaper alternative to excess baggage
Airlines charge steeply for every extra kilo, and there's a hard limit on what you can check in. Shipping the bulk separately is usually far cheaper: sea from £70 per bag for the heavy, non-urgent items, or air at £5.90/kg plus £20 handling when you need things to arrive quickly. Many students send books and out-of-season clothes by sea and fly with just essentials — arriving to find their boxes waiting.
Term-time timing — September & summer
Demand peaks twice: the September/autumn intake and the summer return or move. Sea freight takes a few weeks, so for the start of term, ship your boxes well ahead — a month or so for sea, a few days for air. Book early in peak season when space tightens. We'll give you a realistic window and help you plan backwards from your term or travel date.
Door-to-door, both ends
We collect from any UK address into our Dagenham depot, ship, clear customs, and deliver to the destination address — student halls, a family home, or a campus town across around 45 African countries, and likewise to UK addresses on the inbound leg. Personal effects and used items usually clear straightforwardly, though customs may inspect and some countries apply duty thresholds — we prepare the paperwork so your shipment isn't held.
Why students choose Rolats
Pan-African specialists since 2007, a Dagenham depot, two-way UK to Africa shipping, all-in GBP pricing, and door-to-door delivery — so the move between home and university is one less thing to worry about, at a fraction of excess-baggage cost.