South African Policy on Imported Cars From Japan

It's entirely legitimate to buy and import any vehicle into South Africa, but be sure to have the required permits and permission before doing so. Some Japanese car importers outline these requirements to make importing a Japanese car into South Africa easier.

Import Permit

All new and used vehicles that are imported into South Africa require permits for permanent importation. The application must be filled out and approved before a vehicle is shipped to South Africa. The Director of Import and Export Control provides these permits, and applications should be sent to this office. Note that permits for import are only sent to South African addresses, so you can't apply from outside the country.

Letter of Authority

In addition to an import permit, a car that is being imported permanently requires a letter of authority from the South African Bureau of Standards. Because Japanese vehicles are left-hand drive, a special letter of authority is required. The vehicle cannot be registered in the name of the importer --- these request are usually denied, according to Japanese Auto Auctions.

Duties

A value-added tax of 14 percent applies to all cars imported into South Africa in addition to a 36 percent customs duty tax. If the car is more than 20 years old, this duty is reduced to 20 percent. An additional ad valorem duty is also applied, depending on the value of the car (from a minimum of 0.75 percent to a maximum of 20 percent).