Furniture Shipping Cost from Portland, Oregon to Cape Town

Ocean freight shipping Ocean shipping is a great option for bulkier shipments since it offers much more space than air for a lower price. Depending on how large your shipments are, and how frequently you ship, you can choose either LCL (less than a container load) or FCL (full container load).

Shipping from the USA to South Africa costs vary widely, from around $20-$40 for small, slow shipments (USPS First Class/Priority) to $40-$100 for faster courier services (UPS/FedEx Economy), and upwards of $150+ for expedited, tracked international priority (FedEx/UPS Priority), with costs depending heavily on weight, speed, and courier, with Sea Freight being cheapest for bulk. Expect slower services like USPS to take weeks, while express couriers like DHL/FedEx/UPS offer 2-5 day delivery.

Shipping furniture overseas is often not worth it unless pieces are high-quality, expensive, or deeply sentimental, as costs (thousands of dollars) usually outweigh the benefit, especially when good, affordable local options exist and appliances/electronics rarely work due to power/signal issues, making selling and buying new often the better, fresher start. Weigh the high cost of shipping (potentially $3,000-$10,000+) against replacement costs and the emotional value, factoring in the destination's climate and local furniture availability.