Read this first

What exporting does and doesn't include

Most of the disappointment in cross-border equipment sales comes from assumptions nobody wrote down. So here they are.

✓ You get the machine

Built, configured, tested and crated before it leaves us. New or professionally refurbished, your choice.

✓ You get the knowledge

Setup documentation, remote training on operating and common faults, and parts supply. We answer the phone after the sale.

✗ You don't get on-site servicing

We cannot send a technician across a border to a jammed coil. If you want us maintaining the machine, it needs to be in the Western Cape.

✗ You don't get rental

Rentals include maintenance, so they stop at the border. Export is purchase only.

Where we ship

Countries we regularly quote

  • Namibia
  • Botswana
  • Zimbabwe
  • Zambia
  • Mozambique
  • Angola
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho

Not listed? Ask anyway. The limit is freight and customs, not the map — if a crate can get there and you can clear it, we can quote it.

The process

How buying from South Africa works

  1. Tell us where you are and what you want to sell

    The country matters as much as the machine. Power, climate, what your customers buy and how they pay all change what we would recommend.

  2. We quote the machine and the freight separately

    You see the machine price and the shipping cost as two numbers, not one blended figure. That way you can compare our machine against a local option honestly.

  3. You confirm and pay

    Machines are quoted in South African rand. Payment terms are agreed up front, before anything is built or booked.

  4. We prepare and crate it

    Machines are tested and configured before they are crated. A machine that fails on arrival is a very expensive problem at this distance, so it does not leave until it works.

  5. It ships, and you clear it

    We arrange freight to the border or the agreed delivery point. Import duties, clearing and local compliance are handled on your side — we will tell you what paperwork you need.

Why buy from South Africa

The case, and the catch

South Africa has a deeper vending supply chain than most of the region: machines, spares and refurbishment capacity all exist here at scale. For a buyer in Windhoek or Gaborone that usually means more choice and a better price than importing from Europe or Asia, on a much shorter route.

The catch is support distance. A machine bought locally comes with someone who can be at it tomorrow; a machine bought from us does not. That trade is worth making when you have — or can find — a technician who can handle mechanical faults, and it is a bad trade if you cannot.

We would rather say that up front than sell you a machine that becomes an ornament. If you tell us what technical support you have available locally, we will tell you honestly whether this is a good idea.

An IVS technician moving a vending machine into position with a pallet jack

The range

Machines we export

All four travel. Check the weight and dimensions early — they drive the freight cost more than the machine price does.

Questions

Exporting a vending machine — common questions

Which African countries do you export vending machines to?

We regularly quote buyers in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Eswatini and Lesotho. If your country is not on that list, ask anyway — the constraint is freight and customs, not geography.

Can I rent a machine outside South Africa?

No. Rentals include maintenance, and we cannot maintain a machine we cannot reach. Outside South Africa we sell machines outright, and you or a local technician look after them.

What about servicing and repairs once it arrives?

That sits with you. We will supply the technical documentation, train you or your technician remotely on setup and common faults, and supply parts. What we cannot do is send someone out to a fault in another country.

Can I fit cashless payments in my country?

The machine hardware is the easy part; the acquirer is the hard part. Card acceptance has to be arranged with a payment provider licensed in your country. We will tell you what the machine supports so you can take that to a local provider — see our payment systems page.

Who pays import duties and clearing?

You do. We quote the machine and the freight; duties, clearing agents and any local compliance requirements are on your side. We will tell you what documentation to expect from us.

How long does it take?

It depends on the machine, whether it is new or refurbished, and the route. Ask us with your destination and we will give you a real lead time rather than an optimistic one.

What currency are prices in?

South African rand. Freight is quoted separately, also in rand, so exchange-rate movement affects both predictably.

Do you do events and activations outside South Africa?

Activations travel anywhere in South Africa. Cross-border activations are possible but are quoted case by case, because the machine and the crew both have to cross a border and come back.

Tell us your country and your site

With a destination and a rough idea of what you want to sell, we can quote the machine and the freight properly.