Start posting Christmas parcels now

THE South African Post Office says now is the time to send Christmas gifts to family and friends living abroad.

This is to ensure that the parcels reach their destinations in time for Christmas.

‘There is currently little delay with items leaving the country, but these parcels have to go through time-consuming clearance procedures in the country of destination,’ the Post Office said.

Airmail should be posted no later than 1 December, while sea and surface mail should be posted no later than 31 October for the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Ascension and St Helena.

Parcels to Australia, Great Britain, Europe, the Americas (north and south), the Far East and Asia should also be posted no later than 31 October.

‘Parcels meant for the Indian Ocean island – Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion – must be posted by 27 October, and items meant for Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland should be posted by 8 December.

How to ensure 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 such as 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.

• Ask the sender to include your cellphone number with your address. That makes it possible to SMS you when your parcel is ready for collection.


Items that may not be posted

• Items containing ion lithium batteries, liquids, lotions or creams may not be transported using airmail.

• Illegal items such as drugs.

• Items that could leak and damage other packages.

• Items that may explode or catch fire during air transport, such as aerosols or flammable liquids.

• Any live animals or animal products.

‘All airmail items are X-rayed and scanned to make sure the content is legal and safe.

‘Parcels containing items that are not allowed are rejected by the airlines that transport the mail and returned to the Post Office,’ the Post Office said.

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