Which tariff line does a South Africa importer declare for bulk shea butter?

Start from HS heading 1515.90. South Africa extends that heading to the national line recorded on this page (SARS Schedule 1 heading 1515.90). The importer, not the exporter's six-digit invoice code, confirms the full statistical number on the South Africa tariff for the entry date.

Does DoH make a Nigerian factory register before selling shea butter into South Africa?

DoH rules apply to the South Africa responsible person or importer for finished cosmetics or food, as this guide states. A factory that only supplies bulk drums should not assume it must open a local portal account. Finished-product notification stays with the buyer in South Africa.

Which documents travel with a Lagos container bound for Durban?

EMI Agro issues the commercial invoice, packing list and a Certificate of Analysis per batch. The carrier issues the bill of lading. Nigerian export files (certificate of origin and Form NXP) travel with the shipment. South Africa import filings — the customs declaration and any DoH notice — are the buyer's.

How long does a typical West Africa service take from Lagos to Durban?

Ocean time to Durban is shown on this page as a typical West Africa container range, not a booked schedule. Confirm the live ETD/ETA on the carrier tool when you book. Inland time from Durban to a warehouse in South Africa is extra.

Is shea butter duty-free in South Africa?

Duty follows the vegetable-fat / oils-and-fats bracket on heading 1515.90 in South Africa, plus VAT or GST where charged. Some markets (for example a Free general rate on a nut-oil line) publish a zero Column 1 rate; others do not. Read the tariff note on this page and confirm on the entry date. EMI Agro does not compute landed duty.

What language belongs on a South Africa shea butter label?

Labelling in English. Bulk industrial drums follow the language agreed on the contract. Finished consumer packs follow DoH labelling rules in South Africa.

Import guide

How to Import Shea Butter into South Africa

Tariff line, regulator, documents, transit from Lagos and clearance for South Africa — every fact sourced and dated.

Shea butter enters South Africa under HS heading 1515.90 — SARS Schedule 1 heading 1515.90 in the national tariff — and is overseen by Act 54 of 1972 for cosmetic use and The same Act covers foodstuffs for food use. To import it, confirm the tariff line and duty, check registration requirements with DoH, assemble the documents below, ship from Lagos to Durban (12–22 days) and clear customs with SARS.

Key facts for importing shea butter into South Africa (sources and dates in References)

Customs authority: The South African Revenue Service (SARS) takes the SAD500 customs declaration. Shea butter is declared under heading 1515.90 on Schedule 1 Part 1 of the Customs and Excise Act; the importer confirms the eight-digit national line and check digit.
Cosmetics authority: The Department of Health administers the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act 54 of 1972). That Act controls the sale, manufacture, importation and exportation of cosmetics in the Republic.
Food authority: The same Act covers foodstuffs. Food-use shea butter is entered as a vegetable fat and follows Department of Health food-import controls, not a finished-food approval for the Nigerian plant.
National tariff line: SARS Schedule 1 heading 1515.90
Ports of discharge: Durban, Cape Town
Transit from Lagos: 12–22 days
Certification priority: HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP, COSMOS
Labelling language: Labelling in English
Specific to South Africa: DoH is the named South Africa authority on this page.
Specific to South Africa (2): Lagos boxes for South Africa are planned for Durban (ZADUR).
Specific to South Africa (3): Johannesburg is the named inland or port hub for South Africa.

Nigerian shea butter for South Africa

The commercial shea belt is West African, not South African. A Johannesburg or Cape Town plant is still importing the fat through Durban. South Africa is a destination, not a shea-growing country. Durban feeds Johannesburg; Cape Town is the Western Cape door. DoH applies the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. EMI Agro works with 5,000+ women collectors in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi. Johannesburg buyers usually take the inland haul from Durban.

Ask for a batch COA on a NIS 571:2013 basis: free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture, colour and melting point. Reject lots that smell sharply rancid or pour like liquid oil at room temperature. DoH filings sit with the South Africa importer — they do not replace a COA.

Trial lots start at 5 tonnes; standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Send the request even if you need less — EMI Agro reviews every South Africa enquiry against current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Lead time is Ibadan production plus ocean time to Durban. Quotes are EXW, FOB or CIF; each term prices different services beyond the butter.

What are you buying shea butter for in South Africa?

Two questions. We show the grade, the documents that usually apply and the next step — we do not invent a price.

Use

Quantity

Step 1 — Classify & tariff

Shea butter is classified under HS heading 1515.90 worldwide; South Africa extends it to the national line below.

Tariff classification for shea butter in South Africa (sources and dates in References)
Item	Value	Source
HS heading	1515.90 — global	Harmonized System
National tariff line	SARS Schedule 1 heading 1515.90 — other fixed vegetable fats and oils. Confirm the full eight-digit South African line and check digit on the SARS tariff for the entry date.	sars.gov.za
Duty and tax note	Vegetable fats under 1515.90 typically follow the Schedule 1 ordinary customs duty for that line plus VAT.	sars.gov.za
Preference scheme and proof of origin	Confirm the South Africa line and any preference for Nigerian origin on the SARS tariff for the entry date. This is not a shea-only surcharge.	sars.gov.za

Vegetable fats under 1515.90 typically follow the Schedule 1 ordinary customs duty for that line plus VAT. Confirm the South Africa line and any preference for Nigerian origin on the SARS tariff for the entry date. This is not a shea-only surcharge.

Why the first six digits are the same everywhere is explained in the exporting and importing shea butter guide.

2
Step 2 — Regulatory registration
In South Africa, cosmetic-grade shea butter falls under DoH; food-grade under the food authority.
Finished cosmetics placed on the South African market follow the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act and its labelling and composition regulations. Bulk shea butter as a raw material is not itself a finished cosmetic file.
Food-use drums follow Department of Health food-import rules. The South African importer is the food business.
Finished cosmetics sold in South Africa need the particulars the Department of Health labelling regulations require (typically English). Bulk drums follow the contract language.
Buyers in South Africa most often ask for HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP and COSMOS; status is on our certifications page. See HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP, COSMOS and our certifications page.

Step 3 — Required documents

The documents below are those DoH lists for a shea butter consignment; EMI Agro issues the ones marked as ours.

Documents for importing shea butter into South Africa (sources and dates in References)
Document	Issued by	When
Commercial invoice	EMI Agro	At booking
Packing list	EMI Agro	At stuffing
Bill of lading	Carrier	On vessel departure
Certificate of Analysis (per batch)	EMI Agro	With shipping documents
Certificate of origin	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
Form NXP	Nigerian agency	Before shipment
SAD500 customs declaration	Buyer / importer	Before release to home consumption
Importer registration with SARS	Buyer / importer	Before the first commercial entry

Nigerian export-side documents are explained in how to import shea butter from Nigeria; the COA format is on the certificate of analysis page.

Step 4 — Shipping & Incoterms

EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos) for South Africa discharge at the ports below.

Typical sea transit from Lagos to South Africa (port-to-port days; confirm on the booking)
Port	UN/LOCODE	Transit (days)	Schedules read on
Durban	ZADUR	12–22	September 2026
Cape Town	ZACPT	12–22	September 2026

EXW: buyer arranges collection, freight and insurance from the factory.
FOB: EMI Agro delivers on board at the named Lagos port; buyer arranges ocean freight.
CIF: EMI Agro arranges freight and insurance to the named discharge port.

Container configuration is calculated separately — use the shea export container calculator and the container notes on the export overview.

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Step 5 — Customs clearance & inspection
Clearance in South Africa is handled through DoH.
Boxes discharge at Durban (ZADUR) or Cape Town (ZACPT). Johannesburg buyers take the inland haul from Durban. The importer or broker lodges the SAD500.

Working with EMI Agro

MOQ: Standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Smaller volumes can still be requested — we review every enquiry against current production.
Lead time: Lead time is Ibadan production time plus ocean time to the named port. EMI Agro produces 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Exact weeks depend on the quantity on the purchase order.
Incoterms: EXW, FOB, CIF
Samples: Trial lots start at 5 tonnes of the named grade. Send the request even if you need less — we review whether we can supply.
Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos)

For South Africa buyers our supplier page covers MOQ, price basis, packaging and lead time in detail. Shea butter supplier in South Africa.

For commodity background see the complete guide to shea butter.

How to import shea butter into the United States

How to import shea butter into the European Union

How to import shea butter into Germany

How to import shea butter from Nigeria

Nigerian export-side procedure before the container sails.

Shea export container calculator

How many drums fit a container.

Exporting shea butter from Nigeria

HS heading, load ports and the country-guide hub.

Certificate of Analysis

How a batch COA is reported.

Frequently asked questions

References & standards

sars.gov.za (accessed 13 September 2026)
health.gov.za (accessed 13 September 2026)
health.gov.za (accessed 13 September 2026)
maersk.com (accessed 13 September 2026)

Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.

Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria

Get an export quote for South Africa

Tell us grade, volume and your port of discharge in South Africa; we reply with pricing, the document set and a current COA.

You have just read How to Import Shea Butter into South Africa. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.

Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.

Request an export quote