You can bring the following goods into South Africa without paying customs duty or VAT – value-added tax:

Consumable Goods

• No more than 200 cigarettes and 20 cigars per person.
• No more than 250g of cigarette or pipe tobacco per
  person.
• No more than 50ml perfumery and 250ml eau de toilette per
  person.
• No more than 2 liters of wine per person.
• No more than 1 liter in total of spirits and other alcoholic beverages per person.

Travelers under 18 cannot claim the above duty-free allowance.

If you exceed the above limits, you are required to pay customs duty and VAT on the extra goods. 

Medicines

You can bring in one month’s supply of medicines for your personal use.

Any additional medicines must be declared and must be accompanied by a letter or certified prescription from a registered physician.

Personal effects, Sport, and Recreational equipment

You can bring these for your personal use during your visit. They can be either accompanied or unaccompanied baggage.

If the items are very expensive, you may be required to lodge a cash deposit to cover the tax/duty on the re-export. However, your deposit will be refunded when you leave after a customs officer has inspected the products and verified that they are being re-exported.