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TUNL is helping hundreds of South African businesses “unlock exports” by making international shipping affordable, transparent and simple. They are committed to making exports accessible to businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small startup or an established enterprise, they provide the tools and resources you need to navigate the complexities of global trade with ease. 

How did you get started?

Matthew and I started TUNL in 2022. In our previous ventures, we had both felt the acute pain of the limited and expensive courier options available to South African businesses. After arranging interviews with 20 or so South African businesses and looking at the tech-enable courier options that existed in other markets – we realised there was a huge need and opportunity for an enabler like TUNL and got to work.

What advice do you have for new exporters?

We’ve noticed that first-time international shippers often make similar mistakes or have similar knowledge gaps. Here’s the information we believe is essential to understand before shipping your first parcel overseas.

Volumetric Pricing

Volumetric pricing takes into account not just the weight, but also the space a package occupies. This means that a lighter package that takes up more space may cost more to ship than a heavier one that takes up less space. 

Ensuring Accurate Measurement and Weight of Your Packages

One of the most important steps when preparing your items for international shipping is accurate measurement of your packages. 

Understanding HS Codes and Writing Effective Customs Descriptions

HS codes, or Harmonized System codes, play a pivotal role in customs procedures. These are international codes used to classify products for customs purposes. TUNL’s system uses AI to assist you in finding the correct code and provide a confidence score. However, it’s your responsibility to read the description returned by the tariff book and ensure it accurately describes what you are sending. 

A correctly written customs description is crucial to help our system find the correct HS code. 

A well written customs description includes: 

  • What the product is
  • What the product is made of
  • What it is used for

Feel like the above is too much to take in? Don’t worry, our platform is working to assist and remind shippers on the above. Additionally, our full “Primer” is available here with some more detail and some examples.

Advice on growth? How do I increase my chances of converting an international sale?

With regard to logistics, the most important things to keep in mind when trying to convert and grow overseas customers are to make sure expectations about cost and delivery time are set early on and the customer is presented with some choices.

When presenting shipping options to an international customer, make sure to: 

  • Offer affordable shipping 
  • Offer your customer multiple shipping options
  • Make sure estimated delivery times are clearly shown
  • If duties and taxes are applicable, make sure that these are transparent and the receiver knows up front what they should be expected to pay

Once the customer accepts and the shipment is en-route: 

  • Provide a tracking number and page
  • Ensure that any exceptions are dealt with in a timely manner
  • Once the parcel is delivered, reach out to the receiver to make sure they are happy with the product and delivery experience


Luckily, when you book a shipment through TUNL, the above is taken care of automatically by our platform and team. Visit our website at https://www.tunl.to/ to get an instant quote, access valuable information, or sign up to start shipping today.

Entrepreneur Success Story: TUNL