Cross-border trade compliance for Africa

Know your all-in landed cost before the goods ever leave China.

6wayRates classifies your goods, calculates duty and tax for your destination, and compares every forwarder. No surprises at the border.

Compliance engine: Powered by GingerControl
Avg classification 96% confidence
Authorities: ZIMRA, SARS
Shanghai Harare
Corridor
China to ZimbabweSea · 40HQ · DDP
Transit
14 daysvia Durban
Price a shipment
Demonstration data
USD
Duty and VAT for Zimbabwe are included before you compare. Classification powered by GingerControl.
Why importers switch

Built around the one number that decides the deal.

In African import, the pain is being quoted one price and hit with another at customs. We put the all-in landed cost first, with the work shown.

The number you can trust

Duty, VAT, and fees for your destination calculated at order time, not guessed. The all-in DDP price is locked before you book.

See the breakdown

Every forwarder, compared

Sea and air, DDP and DDU, ranked by best value, cheapest, and fastest. The same shipment, priced honestly across the market.

Compare rates

Transparent to the border

HS classification, compliance checks, and invoice cross-verification on every shipment, with an audit trail retained for ZIMRA.

See compliance
Forwarders and couriers on the platform
ChinaStar Line
OceanFreight Co
AirExpress Asia
SinoGlobal
PearlRiver Freight
TransAsia Marine
Duty and tax calculated for Zimbabwe (ZIMRA), Powered by GingerControl
3 items classified for a consolidated 40HQ container, Shanghai to Harare.
HS 9405.40 LED panel HS 8504.40 Inverter HS 8301.40 Door locks 96% avg confidence
Total landed duty and VAT
$4,638
ZiG 125,226
Duty $2,070 + VAT 15% $2,568

Compare every forwarder, duty included.

Same shipment, ranked across the market. Best value blends price, transit time, and carrier rating. Prices are all-in DDP unless flagged.

The cheapest sticker is rarely the cheapest landed. A low DDU quote still owes $4,638 in ZIMRA duty and VAT at the border. We rank by the all-in price.
Every rate shown includes ZIMRA duty and VAT calculated by GingerControl, except DDU options flagged "duty at clearance".
The moat · Powered by GingerControl

Your landed cost, calculated line by line.

Every item classified to an HS code, every duty and tax computed for Zimbabwe, every invoice cross-checked. This is the engine behind the price.

From a photo to a defensible duty figure, in minutes.
Six modules, every output carries its legal reasoning
i
Document intake
PDF, image, label or typed description
ii
AI extraction
Description, value, origin, weight
iii
GRI classification
Candidate codes, clarify if unsure
iv
Tariff mapping
Country schedule, SADC and COMESA rate
v
Landed cost
Duty, VAT, surtax, dual currency
vi
Compliance flag
Permits, mismatches, save as draft

AI classification result

Powered by GingerControl
LED panel light, 500 units
9405.40Guangzhou Lumen · 10 cartons · luminaires
96%
Solar inverter, 80 units
8504.40Foshan SolarEdge · 8 cartons · static converters
95%
Hardware door locks, 1,000 units
8301.40Yiwu Hongda · 7 cartons · base metal locks
97%
Compliance radar: one action before booking
The solar inverter (HS 8504.40) requires an SAZ certificate of conformity to enter Zimbabwe. Raised now so it does not stop your container at the border.
Action item raised for Foshan SolarEdge
SAZ certificate requested from the supplier, about 3 business days. Does not delay your booking.

Invoice cross-verification

Audit trail retained
Customer commercial invoice$12,500.00
Declared customs value$12,500.00
Variance0.0%
No under-invoicing detected
Invoice matches declared value. Evidence retained for ZIMRA audit.
Landed cost breakdown
Powered by GingerControl
Goods value, declaredFOB Shanghai
$0
Freight and insuranceSea 40HQ, all-risk cover to 110%
$0
CIF customs value
$0
Import dutyZIMRA · 13.75% blended
$0
VAT 15%on duty-inclusive value
$0
Clearing and service feeGingerControl
$0
All-in DDP pricedelivered Harare
$0
ZiG 0
Duty $2,070 and VAT $2,568 included. No payment due at the border.
Locked before you book. The all-in DDP price is fixed at order time, duty and tax included, so there is no surprise bill at ZIMRA.
Evidence retained. Classification, calculation, and invoice cross-check are logged as an audit trail for clearance.
Drafted here, filed by your agent. GingerControl produces the number and the reasoning. Your licensed ZIMRA agent reviews it, files the declaration, and remains the professional of record.
Sourcing

Find verified factories, build one container.

Consolidate multiple Chinese suppliers into one shipment, classified and costed together. Every supplier is verified before it reaches your order.

3 suppliers consolidated into one 40HQ container.
LED panels, solar inverters, and door locks shipped as a single classified consolidation, Shanghai to Harare, all-in DDP $20,488.
Book and pay

One container, one all-in price, paid in milestones.

Your shipment

Shanghai → Harare
Container
40HQ full
Incoterm
DDP
Transit
14 days
Cartons
25
Weight
850 KG
Volume
3.5 CBM
GL
Guangzhou LumenLED panel light
500 units · 10 ctn
HS 9405.40
FS
Foshan SolarEdgeSolar inverter
80 units · 8 ctn
HS 8504.40
YH
Yiwu HongdaHardware door locks
1,000 units · 7 ctn
HS 8301.40
CS
ChinaStar LineSea 40HQ · DDP · 4.9 rating
Best value
Price breakdown
All duties and taxes for Zimbabwe included.
Goods value, declared$12,500
Freight and insurance$2,550
Import duty ZIMRA$2,070
VAT 15%$2,568
Clearing and service fee$800
All-in DDP totalZiG 553,176
$20,488
Two money rails, never mixed. Platform and freight fees release in 5 milestones as your container moves. Duty settles separately to your agent's ZIMRA prepayment account, in USD or ZiG. We record the proof, we never hold the duty.
PickupWarehouseCustomsDepartedDelivered
Tracking shown for demonstration
CS
ChinaStar LineCSLU 7741820 · 40HQ · MV Star Horizon
In transitDay 4 of 14
All-in DDP paid
$20,488
Singapore OriginShanghai Durban Beitbridge DestinationHarare MV Star Horizon
Shanghai
Departed 25 Jun
28% complete
Day 4 of 14
Harare
ETA 9 Jul
Consignee
Avondale Hardware, Harare
Route
Shanghai to Harare, via Singapore, Durban and Beitbridge
Vessel
MV Star Horizon
ETA Harare
9 Jul 2026
Incoterm
DDP, cleared
All-in DDP paid
$20,488
Pre-clearance · Powered by GingerControl

Cleared on paper, 9 days before arrival.

Pre-cleared
Documents received
10%
Extracted and classified
30%
Agent review
50%
Duty invoice issued
65%
Payment confirmed
85%
Declaration filed
95%
Pre-cleared, awaiting arrival
100%
Classification, duty drafting, and document review are complete before the cargo arrives. One shared, timed view for you, your licensed agent, and Charius operations, replacing the phone calls. The agent decides at every stage.

Quote and classification

Done

3 items classified to HS codes, ZIMRA duty and VAT calculated, all-in DDP locked at $20,488.

19 Jun 2026 · 09:14

Forwarder compared and booked

Done

ChinaStar Line selected as best value across 8 forwarders. Milestone 1 of 5 released.

19 Jun 2026 · 11:40

Consolidated and labeled

Done

3 suppliers consolidated at origin hub. 25 cartons QR-tagged for per-carton tracking.

24 Jun 2026 · 16:02

In transit, vessel en route

In transit

MV Star Horizon departed Shanghai on 25 Jun, routing via Singapore and Durban. Vessel position shown for demonstration.

Now · day 4 of 14
Forwarder console, shown for demonstration
For forwarders

Your seat in the marketplace, Charius.

Post rates, win bookings, and watch your earnings release as each container moves. The same engine that prices the customer's shipment shows you what you are owed, and when.

CF
Charius Freight LogisticsFreight forwarder · Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique
Verified forwarder Since 2022
Active lanes
0
Win rate
0
Open rate requests
0
Earnings released, this month
$0
22% MoM
Post a rate
Customers compare your rate against the market, ranked by best value.
USD

Your bookings and milestone payouts

BookingRouteCustomerStatusReleased to you
6WR-2026-0501
 Shanghai to Harare Sunrise Hardware, Harare In transit, day 9
$3,1803 of 5
6WR-2026-0476
 Guangzhou to Harare Highveld Motors, Harare Won, awaiting pickup
$1,2201 of 5
6WR-2026-0455
 Ningbo to Bulawayo Zambezi Traders, Bulawayo Delivered
$4,7605 of 5
The platform · Powered by GingerControl

One platform, four layers, a compliance moat at the centre.

Every actor connects through one authenticated API gateway. The compliance brain sits at the core, so one engine prices, checks, and clears every shipment.

Customers
Importers, traders
Forwarders
Rate marketplace
Licensed agents
File the declaration
Suppliers
China, India, Vietnam
Charius systems
Existing portal, vendors
API GATEWAY · REST + webhooks · authentication · rate limiting
Platform and MarketplaceWhere customers transact
Customer portalBooking and trackingForwarder and broker marketplacesSupplier sourcingWarehouse operationsPayments, wallet and escrow
The Compliance BrainThe moat
HS / HTS classifyLanded cost and DDPCompliance radarCross-document checkDocument OCRTariff data per country
GRI 1 to 6 reasoning · batch to 200 SKUs · drafted vs paid learning loop
FoundationHolds it all securely
Identity and RBACKYC / AMLMulti-tenant dataAudit trailIntegration and webhooks
Government filing systems (ASYCUDA, SARS, TANCIS) sit outside the platform by design. The licensed agent files the declaration, never 6wayRates.
The compliance boundary

The platform produces the number, the agent files it.

The single most important design decision. It makes 6wayRates buildable now, with no government approval to wait on, and it is the same boundary GingerControl already operates inside the United States.

GingerControl builds and runs

The compliance brain

  1. Reads the documents and product data
  2. Classifies with GRI 1 to 6 reasoning
  3. Returns the full landed-cost stack
  4. Flags permits, prohibitions, and changes
  5. Cross-checks the invoice against the declaration
  6. Produces the duty invoice and reference
Produces the number, the reasoning, and the record. Never files into government systems.
Drafted vs paid
The licensed agent does

Files the declaration

  1. Reviews the brain's classification
  2. Confirms or corrects the duty figure
  3. Files into ASYCUDA, SARS, or TANCIS
  4. Logs in under their own licence
  5. Reports back the entry number and status
  6. Remains the professional of record
The same boundary GingerControl already operates inside the United States.
Why this is the moat

Every shipment compares the drafted duty against what was paid. That loop makes the engine smarter over time, and harder to replace.

Money and method

Two money rails, never blurred.

Platform money and duty money travel on two rails that never mix. Duty never touches a Charius account, which protects Charius and satisfies any auditor or revenue authority.

Rail A, platform and freight moneymilestone escrow
Customer
One booking, two payment lines
6wayRates escrow
Holds platform and freight fees
Milestone release, 20% × 5
Pickup, warehouse, customs, departed, delivered
Forwarder and providers
Paid only as each milestone is verified
Rail B, duty moneynever held by us
Customer
Pays duty in USD or ZiG
Agent prepayment account
Held at ZIMRA in the agent's name
Revenue authority
ZIMRA draws duty per entry
6wayRates wallet
Displays and audits, never holds the duty
A licensed agent confirms funds reflect in the real government account before any shipment clears. A deposit slip is never trusted on its own.
Roles, controls and trust

Nine role-based portals, one permission model.

Each user type gets a portal scoped to what they need to see and do, governed by one identity and RBAC layer with a full audit trail under every action.

Super Admin
Charius management, registration approvals, escrow release authority.
In the build
Customer
Importers and exporters who price, book, and follow shipments.
In the build
Freight Forwarder
Rate posting and earnings across the marketplace.
In the build, open the console
Clearing Agent
Quotes, clearance, and documents, files in their own licence.
In the build
Supplier
Catalogue and cargo submission from China, India, Vietnam.
In the build
Warehouse
Receiving, per-carton scan, and consolidation.
In the build
Transport
Load board, GPS, and proof of delivery.
In the build
Investor
Read-only financials, ROI tracking, and reports.
In the build
Mobile App
Field users and warehouse scanning, slots onto the same model.
Deferred at your direction
Technology

A cloud-native stack your developers will recognise.

Proven components for the commodity surfaces, with the compliance brain exposed as the customs-intelligence API at the centre. A REST API with sandbox access from day one, built to sit alongside your existing systems.

FrontendPortals, live updates, alerts
Next.js / ReactTailwindSocket.IO + FirebaseWhatsApp (Twilio) + SendGrid
Backend and servicesAPI, payments, KYC
Node.js + NestJSStripe + Flutterwave + PayFastOnfido / Jumio / Trulioo
Customs intelligenceThe GingerControl API, the moat
HS / HTS classify (GRI)Landed cost / duty stackCompliance and cross-checkDocument OCR
DataPer-tenant isolation
PostgreSQLMongoDBPer-tenant isolation
Cloud, hosting and residencyZimbabwe data residency
AWS + CloudflareIn-country serversPDF + DocuSign
Built by the team behind national-scale trade compliance.
The same engine that automated customs classification for a national postal authority in Asia, and unified duty data for a global life-sciences manufacturer. Backed by US$2.1M from UK venture investors, with advisors and team members who built their careers at companies like Flexport and Oracle.
NVIDIA InceptionAAEINCBFAAInternational Trade InstituteUK Royal MailChunghwa PostUNISRepligenSEKISUI
Shown for demonstration
Platform metrics

A take-rate business on every cleared container.

6wayRates earns on forwarder commission, platform subscription, and duty and usage fees, on every shipment classified and cleared.

GMV processed
$0
18.4% QoQ
Shipments processed
0
12.1% MoM
Platform revenue
$0
21.7% QoQ
Active importers
0
9.3% MoM

Monthly shipment volume

Containers processed, last 9 months
62
Oct
78
Nov
94
Dec
88
Jan
110
Feb
124
Mar
141
Apr
162
May
189
Jun

Revenue by stream

Trailing quarter
$312K
Revenue
Forwarder commission
46%
Platform subscription
28%
Duty and usage fees
26%

Corridor performance

CorridorShipmentsGMVShare of GMV
ZWChina to Zimbabwe
842$2.7M
MZChina to Mozambique
281$980K
BWChina to Botswana
161$520K
All corridors1,284$4.2M100%