Shipping Stock from China to Africa: Delivery Times, Customs and Costs Explained

Most COD products sold in Africa come from China. Getting stock into the market quickly and at the right cost is what allows you to test fast and never run out when a product takes off.

1. Typical shipping times

For testing and for most winners, fast air shipping is the right choice: you avoid tying up cash in stock that sits on the ocean for weeks.

2. Customs clearance

Every shipment must be declared and cleared on arrival. For sellers, the important points are:

• Use a partner who handles clearance for you, so your goods don't wait at the airport.
• Declare products correctly — wrong declarations cause delays and penalties.
• Avoid restricted products (medicines, some cosmetics with strong active ingredients, batteries without proper packaging, counterfeits).

3. Calculate your landed cost

Your real product cost is not the supplier price. It's the landed cost:

Use this number in your COD profit calculator. A good rule: sell at 4× the landed cost or more.

4. How much to order

• Test: enough for 2–3 weeks of sales (often 50–150 units).
• Winner: reorder when stock reaches daily delivered × (shipping days + safety days).
• Always plan from delivered orders, not leads. More in our guide on stock and offers.

5. Quality control before shipping

• Ask the supplier for photos and a short video of your actual batch.
• Check packaging for fragile items.
• Compare a sample against your ad — if the product looks different, your delivery rate will suffer.

6. Importing with CODSwiftly

You can send your stock yourself, or let us import it for you from China, Dubai or any other country. We handle clearance and receive the stock directly into our warehouses, ready for your first orders.

Next step

Send your first test stock to our warehouses in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana or Zambia and start selling within days of arrival.