Air Freight to Africa: Transit Time, Certifications and Customs Clearance

Exporting to Africa, why are more and more customers turning to air transportation?

Traditionally, the perception was that "Africa = only by sea transportation", but in recent years this notion is being overturned:

• E-commerce boom: Platforms like JUMIA and Kilimall have risen to prominence. The expectations of African consumers regarding delivery time have been rapidly raised, and sellers now need a replenishment speed of 5-10 days.

• High uncertainty in maritime transportation: On the African shipping route, with a transportation cycle of 30-45 days, there are numerous uncertain factors such as port congestion, strikes, and the impact of the rainy season, resulting in severe capital occupation.

• High-value cargo damage risk: The process of containerized shipping and mixed loading involves many steps. For high-value goods such as 3C products, cosmetics, and precision components, the risks of damage and loss are much higher than those in air transportation.

Air freight has shortened the replenishment cycle for African routes from "one and a half months" to "one week". For sellers with stable sales performance, the additional freight costs are often offset by faster capital turnover and reduced losses from stock shortages.

China's Air Transport to Africa: Timeliness and Product Form

CHOICE air freight door-to-door service covers 10 or more African countries including Nigeria and Kenya.

• From one airport to another: 3 to 6 days

• From warehouse to warehouse (including export operations): 7 - 14 days

• FBJ/FBK (including warehouse delivery): 7 - 15 days

CHOICE differentiation advantage in air transportation:

• The two channels of air transport and sea transportation can be freely switched. The proportion can be adjusted at any time when the market fluctuates.

• During the e-commerce peak season, you can apply for container space packages. Our capacity for ensuring shipping space to Africa is industry-leading.

• Support prepayment and destination cash on delivery (COD)

African platform warehousing service: Direct air freight service for sellers on JUMIA / Kilimall

The local e-commerce platforms in Africa also have strict requirements for the delivery time of goods. CHOICE offer a one-stop service combining air freight and warehouse delivery:

• JUMIA: JUMIA Certified Partner. After customs clearance, the goods will be scheduled for delivery to the JUMIA performance center as per the platform's requirements.

• Kilimall: Kilimall Official Partner, Platform Delivery Hub Service for the Eastern African Region

• Pre-shipment verification of storage: Verify the platform box labels, tags, and outer box specifications before shipment to reduce the risk of rejection upon entry into storage.

Air freight delivery within 7-15 days + warehouse delivery operation, enabling JUMIA/Kilimall sellers to shorten their replenishment cycle from 2 months via sea freight to within 2 weeks.

Air freight or sea freight? A table will help you make the decision.

The compliance issues that must be resolved before air transportation

Note: Air freighted goods are also subject to the African import certification regulations. Even if the certification is incomplete, the goods cannot be cleared through customs.

Nigerian SONCAP Certification:

• Before export, a Product Certificate (PC) and a SONCAP Certificate (SC) must be obtained.

• If the goods without certificates arrive at the port, they will face heavy fines or even be returned.

• CHOICE local team has repeatedly assisted clients in handling SONCAP certificate issues. We provide guidance on certification procedures and assistance with customs inspection. If the goods are missing certificates upon arrival at the port, they will face heavy fines or even be returned.

Kenya PVoC Certification:

• The applicable product range is wide (including electronics, building materials, textiles, etc.), and conformity verification must be completed before shipment.

One suggestion: The certification issue should be resolved before shipment, and the cost will only be one-tenth of what it would be if handled after arrival at the port - this also means that the air freight schedule should include the certification period as well.

Why choose an air freight service provider that has a local branch office?

The customs clearance environment in Africa is complex. The problem of "unclaimed goods arriving at the airport and being unable to clear customs" is a persistent issue in the industry. CHOICE adopt a one-stop closed-loop model of "originating in China + receiving at the destination branch":

• The entire process is operated by our own staff. The goods do not change hands and no responsibility is shirked.

• The multilingual team (English, French, Arabic) efficiently communicated with the local customs and airport authorities.

• A self-operated network covering over 10 African countries including Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda

• The entire process trace of the self-developed ERP system is traceable, and abnormal situations at air freight nodes are actively alerted.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can only a few kilograms of sample goods be transported by air to Nigeria?

A: Yes, it's possible. The minimum cost for air transportation to Africa starts at 100 USD. Sample orders and small batch restocking are the main business areas.

Q: Can goods be shipped to Africa without an import/export license?

A: Yes. We provide export customs declaration agency and air freight double settlement services. Customers only need to provide the packing list and information about the goods.

Q: Does air transportation to Africa include customs clearance and delivery?

A: You can choose between warehouse-to-warehouse or FBJ/FBK (air freight double settlement with tax included), or the door-to-door option which includes customs clearance in the destination country and delivery at the end point.