Ivory & CITES-Listed Items 🇿🇦 South Africa
Ivory trade banned under CITES and national law
Can I bring Ivory & CITES-Listed Items into South Africa?
Ivory trade banned under CITES and national law
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
South Africa prohibits the import and export of ivory products under CITES and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act. This includes raw ivory, carved ivory, and ivory jewellery. Pre-ban antique ivory requires CITES permits that are extremely difficult to obtain. Enforcement in South Africa carries fines from ZAR 5,000 to ZAR 5,000,000 and imprisonment up to 25 years in aggravated cases under Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992; Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000. Leaving South Africa with ivory & cites-listed items is a separate question — prohibited: Export of ivory from South Africa is prohibited without a DFFE (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment) CITES export permit. Penalties under NEMBA reach ZAR 10 million or 10 years imprisonment.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 5000–5000000 ZAR
- Imprisonment up to 300 months
- Criminal penalty
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving South Africa with ivory & cites-listed items
South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) 10/2004 implements CITES obligations. CITES Appendix I species (including elephant ivory) may only be exported for non-commercial scientific purposes or registered captive-breeding operations with DFFE permit. Pre-Convention ivory (antique, pre-1976 with documented provenance) may be authorised with a DFFE certificate and CITES non-detriment finding. Penalties: ZAR 10 million fine and/or 10 years imprisonment under NEMBA s. 101.
Do not attempt to buy or transport any ivory products in South Africa. Penalties include imprisonment.
This page covers destination customs rules in South Africa. Whether you can carry ivory & cites-listed items through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items rules in other countries
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇺🇸 United States
Commercial ivory trade is banned. Personal importation subject to narrow exemptions.
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
One of the world's strictest ivory bans under the Ivory Act 2018.
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇨🇳 China
Complete ban on ivory trade since 2018
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇨🇦 Canada
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇦🇺 Australia
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Ivory & CITES-Listed Items import prohibited