I've searched, with no luck, for information on air shipping a bike from Rio to Cape Town. Anybody done it lately or have any current info on that?

A second question I've also not found an answer to is: Can I ship my bike to Cape Town and have someone pick it up and store it on my behalf, or do I have to collect it myself?

I'm in Brazil at the moment and considering returning to Canada mid-February for month (yeah, it'll be cold) to deal with a number administrative issues, and buy two more clean t-shirts.

Being a noobie in these matters, in my simple mind it would make more sense for me to ship the bike from Rio before I leave Brazil, return to Canada, and then fly Canada to Cape Town IF I was able to have someone else acting on my behalf in CT picking up and storing the bike. I can probably find a contact for that.

Anybody know if that's possible from a South African customs point of view? I have a sneaking feeling that I'd have to pick it up myself.

Would be great if the Bike Shipping section of the HU site was updated by those on the road, thereby saving pleas for help, like this one.

Thanks for any assistance.

No experience, but a Google search suggests, try this:
SnailTrails - Pages (2010)
-->
RIOPORT Assessoria Aduaneira (customs broker)

Paulo Baceelar
AV.Rio Branco, 135 GR 814 - Centro
20040-006 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - BRAZIL
PH +5521-2505-9650
FAX +5521-2505-9696
DIRECT LINE +5521- 2505-9661
MOBILE +5521-97969955
paulo.bacelar@rioportaduaneira.com.br
RioPort - Assessoria Aduaneira

Above website in Portuguese & English.
You may have to CALL to get detail/ accurate info.
Lufthansa & Air France, among other airlines w/ aircargo services, may have direct aircargo service GIG (RIO)-> Capetown RSA.

Hubb(er) "Gold Wing" got an email response with airfreight quote from this
broker in Rio back in Nov 2012, although for a different routing (-->Dakar).
If this broker is responsive once, that suggests he could be again, for
Capetown, assuming there is aircargo service RIO->Capetown.

Can't answer your RSA Customs import/ storage question from personal experience, but almost any country "allows" a commercial customs broker
to clear imported personal property acting as designated agent for the property owner; followed by storage. Of course, it's also always a question
of customs brokerage fees and storage fees. Is that what you were asking ?

Thanks Courtfisher. That was what I was looking for. Never really thought about going the commercial broker route because the bike would be there for a while before I got there and I don't want to run up astronomical storage fees.

I'll check into thought. Thanks again.

Hello SprinSt,

I'm looking for the same shipment. Not yet but the next year.
I'm still in Canada (Montreal), and plan to leave in September.

So if you have any information could you share?

Thanks,

Damien

__________________
Damien - Motard du Monde http://motard-du-monde.net
https://www.facebook.com/MotardDuMonde.net

A change of plans has me now looking to fly my bike from Rio de Janeiro to Canada (Ottawa ideally). Not much info that I can find on it, and not speaking Portuguese is a bit of a drawback.

Have enlisted the help of a Brazilian friend and hope to have more info on that in a few days.

Planning is obviously not my forte.

Will post when I get things sorted out one way or the other.