An international shipment involves more parties than a local one, and knowing which of them holds your parcel at any moment is what makes it traceable.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not a courier or a retailer and cannot trace or release a parcel. Everything on this page is a routing aid.
Who actually handles this
The courier you shipped with, which usually hands the parcel to a partner or the postal service in the destination country. The tracking number generally follows it across, but the level of detail often drops once it leaves South Africa.
What to do, in order
- Track on the sending courier’s own site first, and ask what its partner is in the destination country.
- Expect a quiet period. A parcel in transit internationally can go days without a scan and still be fine.
- Provide customs documents promptly when asked. That is the most common cause of a long hold.
- For a parcel stuck in the destination country, ask the sending courier to raise a trace with its partner. You generally cannot open a case with the foreign carrier yourself.
- Keep the proof of value and the invoice, which every claim and clearance depends on.
What to have ready
- The international waybill or tracking number.
- The full destination address including postal code, in the destination country’s format.
- The commercial invoice and declared value.
- The contents description, and whether anything is restricted.
Verified courier customer care routes
Every route in this table was taken from the company’s own official contact page and checked on 21 August 2026. Contact details change, so confirm on the official site before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| The Courier Guy customer support | 086 120 3203 |
| The Courier Guy WhatsApp | 064 848 1531 |
| RAM customer care | 0861 726 726 |
| RAM parcel tracking | 010 494 8223 |
| DHL customer service (shipment queries) | 0860 345 000 |
| DHL customs support | +27 11 923 0398 |
| PostNet call centre | 0860 767 8638 |
| PAXI customer enquiries | 086 000 7294 |
| CourierIT | +27 11 552 1000 |
| DSV national contact centre | +27 31 310 6000 |
Who owns the problem: retailer, courier or you
- If you bought online, the retailer is your contract. It chose the courier and it owes you delivery of what you paid for, in the condition you paid for. Whether its courier failed is a matter between them. Say this plainly and in writing when a retailer tries to hand you to the courier.
- The courier physically holds the parcel and is the only party that can trace it, produce a proof of delivery, or redirect it. It works from the waybill number and generally caps its liability unless extra cover was bought.
- If you shipped it yourself, you are the courier’s customer and the claim is yours to make.
- The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints free of charge, once the supplier’s own process has been used.
The waybill number traces the parcel; the order number traces the purchase. Having both, and knowing which party you are actually dealing with, resolves most courier problems faster than any phone number does.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Panicking at a quiet tracking period. International legs scan less often.
- Declaring an inaccurate value, which causes holds and penalties.
- Trying to open a case with the foreign carrier. Raise it with the courier you paid.
- Shipping restricted or prohibited items without checking. They are seized, not returned.
The scam to watch for
Beware of anyone asking you to receive or forward parcels on someone else’s behalf. Reshipping scams recruit people in South Africa to accept and forward goods bought with stolen cards, and the person forwarding them carries the legal risk. Romance and job-offer approaches are the usual routes in.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It expects the supplier’s own complaints process to have been used first and will ask for its reference number, so get one and keep it.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Consumer Goods and Services Ombud call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
Related contact pages
- Transport and courier contact pages
- International Courier Contact Details
- Transport
- Umalusi Contact Details
- Spar Vredendal Contact Details
- Wced Contact Details
- Srd Contact Details
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
- Aramex Tracking Contact Details
Frequently asked questions
Why has tracking stopped updating?
International legs scan less frequently, and the destination carrier may only update on arrival. Ask the sending courier to check with its partner.
Who do I claim from if it is lost abroad?
The courier you shipped with. Your contract is with it, not with its overseas partner.
How long should an international parcel take?
It depends on the service and on customs. Ask the courier for the service level you paid for, because that is what a delay is measured against.
Contact routes on this page were checked against each company’s official source on 21 August 2026.