How To Ship From Amazon To Kenya: Best Methods Explained

As a frequent buyer on Amazon, I normally get enquiries from Kenyans on how to ship from Amazon to Kenya.

Buyers ship from Amazon to Kenya through Express shipping couriers or freight forwarding companies. Express Shipping couriers like DHL, FedEx deliver goods to your doorstep. Freight forwarding companies that deliver Amazon products to Kenya include KenTex Cargo, Savo Store, and StatesDuka.

One needs to choose the shipment mode wisely as some may be more expensive than the product itself.

How do Kenyans ship goods from Amazon?

Most Kenyans now prefer to use third-party shipping companies such as KenTex Cargo, Savo Store, and StatesDuka for delivery of merchandise from amazon.com.

Although ordering goods on Amazon may seem easy, shipping the products to Kenya may be complicated for first-time buyers. Well, here are the easy methods on how to ship goods from Amazon to Kenya:

A. Freight Forwarding Companies.
These are privately-owned commercial companies that ship goods (in this case) from Amazon to Kenya. Shipping companies are reliable and affordable as they cater for all import duty and customs taxes on your behalf.

Amazon shipping directly to Kenya is more hectic than shipping within the USA. Here is where Freight Shipping companies make delivery easier for you. You instruct Amazon to ship your goods to the USA address of your preferred Freight Forwarding Companies. The freight companies in return ship the goods to Kenya and deal with the Customs Duty for you.

Freight companies have two modes of shipping:

a) Air freight – Shipment via air is more expensive and fast.
b) Sea freight – Sea transport is cheaper and mostly convenient for large shipment.

Here are the shipping companies from USA to Kenya for Amazon products:

1. KenTex Cargo
They come highly recommended because they are: 

• Reliable – They assign you a trafficking number and hence you are aware of the location of your goods always.
• Affordable – They charge only $18 per kg.
• Accommodative – They allow you to ship from other stores besides or inclusive of Amazon and agree to send it as one package.
• Highly Experienced – They are among the pioneers in the USA to Kenya shipping business.

In case ordering the products on Amazon seems complicated, KenTex Cargo does it for you. Send them a photo of the product you need, and they will shop and ship on your behalf. 

However, there have been recent complaints about delayed delivery by KenTex Cargo.  

Here is how KenTex Cargo advises that you address your packages on Amazon when shipping to Kenya:

2. Savo Store
Savo Store is one of the recommendations you normally get from Kenyans in the USA when enquiring for the best way to ship products from America to Kenya. Inclusive of Amazon, they help you ship and shop products from all online stores in the USA. 

What makes them one of the best shipping companies of products from Amazon to Kenya is: 

• Fast delivery – Savo Store takes 7-15 days to deliver goods via air freight. However, one waits longer for sea freight as it takes 60-90 days.
• Reliability – Most products sent via Savo Store arrive intact and they have less cases of lost goods.
• Communicative – They have a good customer service both in Kenya and America ready to educate one on the ship and shop process.
• Budget-friendly – Savo Store charges a shipping $15 per kg, which is evidently the most competitive price.

Here is what Savo Store recommends you to do in order for them to deliver your goods from Amazon:

3. StatesDuka
StatesDuka is the most popular shipping company among Kenyans residing in the USA for shipping Amazon products to Kenya. StatesDuka allows one to use M-Pesa to buy goods on Amazon. Here are the pros of shipping goods from Amazon using StatesDuka.

• M-Pesa – The only way to purchase products on Amazon by M-Pesa is through StatesDuka. They are the only shipping agents that offer this service.
• Affordable – StatesDuka charge a shipping fee of $15 per KG, which includes customs and clearing fees.
• Quick delivery – Goods exported to Kenya by air get delivered within 10-15 business days.

Here is how StatesDuka recommends you address the package on Amazon to enable shipment to Kenya:

B. Express Shipping Couriers
Express shipping couriers are the fastest way of shipping products from Amazon to Kenya. The disadvantage of Express Shipping is you have to pay the Customs and clearing fees, which makes it more expensive. To cut the cost, the use of expedited or express delivery couriers when shipping to Kenya should be limited to:

• Smaller shipment – Bulky packages are charged higher.
• High-priority products – Shipment of Amazon products from Amazon to Kenya through expedited delivery services should be the last option unless the goods are urgent.
• Free-shipping products on Amazon – Choose products with the free-shipping tag on Amazon to lower import expenses.

The best Expedited shipping courier services for buying shipping products from Amazon to Kenya are DHL and FedEx. Here is more about them;

i) DHL
Most buyers prefer to ship products from Amazon to Kenya through DHL because:

• DHL Express takes 5-7 days to ship from Amazon to Kenya.
• DHL offers a tracking number, thus it makes it easier for you to track your package.
• DHL offers insurance of your products through the DHL Shipment Value Protection.

ii) FedEx
FedEx is preferred by buyers to ship Amazon products to Kenya because of:

• Fast delivery – FedEx takes 4-6 days to deliver goods from America to Kenya by air.
• Money-back guarantee in case of shipment delay.
• Free packaging, which slightly lowers the shipping cost.

How Long Does Amazon Take To Ship To Kenya?

The shipping mode you choose determines how long Amazon takes to ship to Kenya. Expedited shipping via DHL takes 2-3 days. Air shipment takes 7-10 days. Sea shipment takes 30 to 90 days via Freight Forwarding Companies.

To ensure faster delivery, other important factors should be considered before you choose a shipping mode.

How long does Amazon take to deliver to Kenya?

Delivery of items from Amazon to Kenya ranges from 2 days to 90 days depending on the shipping method. Here are other factors that determine how long shipping goods to Kenya from Amazon takes:

1. Experience of the shipping agent. Here you should consider:
2. How long have they been in the business? This determines whether they know their way around Customs Duty and the import fee. The shipping experience of the agent may determine how fast imported goods get cleared by Customs.       
3. Familiarity of the shipping agent with the product. You should enquire:
4. Have they shipped a similar product before? To avoid delay or hindrance of your shipment, a shipping agent should be able to alert you in advance whether your product falls under the Prohibited & Restricted Imports category.
5. Customer service of the freight forwarding company.
6. Do they ship the product immediately after they receive it from Amazon or do they delay? Exactly when the shipment begins determines how long it takes Amazon items to reach the buyer.

How Much Does It Cost To Ship From Amazon To Kenya?

The shipping cost from Amazon to Kenya varies depending on the type of the item, weight of the product, the transport mode used, and the rates of the freight company. On average, it costs KES 1,600 per KG to ship items from Amazon to Kenya.

One should beware of other hidden costs that may arise besides the freight rates. Here are the Amazon to Kenya freight rates of the best shipping agents in Kenya:

Freight companies are much cheaper compared to courier services. With shipping companies, you are unlikely to incur the extra cost of Customs duty and import fees as they are catered for in the package. Courier services expect you to pay for both Customs and import charges.

How To Pay on Amazon From Kenya

Payment methods to use on Amazon from Kenya are credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard). M-Pesa payment is acceptable through third-party shop-and-ship agents like StatesDuka, Savo Store, and VituMob.

To use the M-Pesa payment method on Amazon, you should look for agents with the ship-and-shop option. To get the best experience, alert the shipping agents before you pay.

Conclusion

Freight companies have made it easier and cheap to ship from Amazon to Kenya. KenTex Cargo, Savo Store, and StatesDuka are the best agents that deliver Amazon items to Kenya. Ensure you choose freight companies over courier services when shipping because of reliability and transparency with regards to hidden costs.

Let us know, how do you ship your goods from Amazon to Kenya?