Post your Christmas parcels now, says SA Post Office

The SA Post Office says customers who want to mail Christmas parcels to other countries should do so as soon as possible.

In particular, customers who use surface mail to send their Christmas gifts, should do so soon.

This will ensure the parcels reach their destinations in time for Christmas.

South Africa currently has very little delay with items leaving the country, but these parcels have to go through time-consuming clearance procedures in the countries of destination.

The Post Office is not permitted to send items containing ion lithium batteries via air mail. All air mail items are X-rayed and scanned for contents, and these items will then be re-routed to surface mail.

Air mail items should be posted no later than 1 December.

For sea and surface mail, post parcels no later than the dates below:

Great Britain, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, the Americas (North and South), the Far East and Asia and the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Ascension and St Helena – no later than 31 October.

Parcels meant for Seychelle, Comores, Mauritius and Reunion islands in the Indian Ocean – must be posted by 27 October.

For Africa – the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Peoples Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Madagascar, Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe – the last date is 1 December.

Items meant for countries bordering South Africa should be posted no later than 8 December.  These countries are Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

How to make sure your parcel arrives safely

• Parcels must be packaged securely, as they are transported in bulk.
• If your mail item does not fill the container, fill it with packaging material like shredded paper or polystyrene to act as a shock absorber.
• Make sure the items you are sending are legal in the country of destination. In most countries, plant and animal material cannot be imported.

The following items may not be posted:

• Items containing ion lithium batteries may not be transported using air mail.
• Illegal items such as drugs.
• Items which could leak and damage other packages, such as liquids.
• Items that may explode or catch fire during air transport, such as aerosols or flammable liquids.

All air mail items are X-rayed and scanned to ensure the content is legal and safe.