Duty-free doesn’t mean VAT-free
This is the point most SA importers get caught on. South African goods are duty-free under SACU — but Namibia applies the 10% import uplift to SA goods too, with no SACU exemption on the Namibian side (unlike the SARS/BLNS rule going the other way). So import VAT works out to about 16.5% of the FOB value, even though customs duty is zero. Where your business is VAT-registered in Namibia, that VAT is deferrable and reclaimable — we’ll advise on the right structure.
What we handle
- SAD 500 home-consumption declarations lodged in ASYCUDA World
- SACU duty-free confirmation and correct HS classification
- Import VAT (~16.5%) handling, deferment and reclaim guidance
- Coordination across Ariamsvlei/Nakop and Noordoewer/Vioolsdrif
- NamRA TIN registration for first-time importers
- Road Fund (RFA) charges and border coordination for road freight
How we work: WalvisLink is a customs-clearance platform. We coordinate your file end to end, and the SAD 500 is lodged by a vetted, NamRA-licensed partner agent who carries the clearing licence and legal responsibility for the declaration — you get one accountable point of contact.
How onboarding works
Tell us about your goods
Complete the short onboarding form below — company, goods, corridor and volume.
We send your onboarding pack
Letter of authority (NamRA CE-FR-057), document checklist and a fee proposal — before anything is committed.
You appoint us
Sign the letter of authority and return your TIN and company documents. First-time importers: we handle TIN registration.
We clear every consignment
For each load we lodge the SAD 500, handle VAT, and coordinate release so your trucks aren't held at the border.
Pricing
Printable brief →Standard customs clearance per consignment (SAD 500 entry) Home-consumption entry lodged in ASYCUDA World by our NamRA-licensed partner agent. | N$1,500 |
Each additional tariff line per line after the first | N$150 |
Disbursement / cash-outlay fee on duties, VAT & charges we advance Covers fronting the NamRA payment. Waived on a cash-before-release basis. | 2.5% |
Documentation handling per entry | N$250 |
After-hours / border attendance when required | N$750 |
Transit / removal-in-bond (RIB) per transit entry Where goods move through Namibia to another country under bond, rather than clearing for local use. | N$1,500 |
TIN registration assistance one-off, first-time importers | N$750 |
- Prices are WalvisLink service fees in Namibia Dollars (N$, pegged 1:1 to the ZAR), excluding government charges.
- SA-origin goods are duty-free under SACU — no customs duty in Namibia.
- Import VAT of about 16.5% of the FOB value is payable to NamRA on home-consumption entries (deferrable against a VAT import account where the importer is registered). This is a government charge, not our fee.
- Road Fund charges (Cross-Border and Mass-Distance) apply to trucks over 3,500 kg at the border.
- Disbursements (VAT, permits, port/agent outlays) are invoiced at actuals with the release.
- New accounts clear on a cash-before-release basis; monthly credit terms are available after a credit application. Volume rates for regular monthly consignments on request.
Start onboarding
Two minutes. We’ll send your onboarding pack and a fee proposal — no obligation.