FAQ's

 

Where is my order being shipped from?

Your order is being shipped from Cape Town in South Africa.

How long will my order take to arrive?

Please check our shipping information page for full details as the arrival of the order is dependent on the shipment method chosen.

Do you send growing guidance for the species ordered?

Growing guidance for the species ordered will be sent to you via email. Growing guidance for all species we sell is also available for download in our resource centre.

I haven't received the growing guidance for my order?

All growing guidance is emailed within 24 hours of an order being placed. If you haven't received the email, it is possible that due to the size of the email, it is in your spam / junk mail folders. Please check your spam / junk mail before contacting us to resend it. Growing guidance for all species we sell is also available for download in our resource centre.

Do you print growing guidance for items sold?

No, we do not print growing guidance for items. Unlike other seed companies we offer extensive info for each species which can run into several pages. We send this info via email and our environmental policy is not to print this info.

What is my tracking number?

Tracking numbers are sent via email when your order has been placed. For details of how to track your parcel, please see our shipping information page.

Does Seeds for Africa stock all the products listed on the website?

If the item is listed for sale on our website and it does not say "out of stock" we have stock of it. We do not list items for sale that are not physically on hand.

Does Seeds for Africa drop ship?

No, we do not drop ship. We only sell items that we have in stock at our premises.

An item is out of stock, when will it be available?

Not all items will be available 365 days a year. Simply put we only sell what is fresh. Due to the seasonality of some species they will only be available at certain times of the year.

I want to know when an item is back in stock!

You can click on the product page and you will see this image if the product is not currently in stock.

Click on the image and leave your email address in the space provided. As soon as the item is back in stock we will email you to let you know its available again. 

When were the seeds harvested?

Our seed is fresh and viable. Where possible seed is germination tested before delivery to our customers.  The seed we offer isn’t any older than 12 months from date of harvest. On receipt of seed it is date marked and if it hasn’t been sold within 9 months we do not sell it.

Is the seed GMO?

Nothing that we sell is genetically modified.

Is the seed Organic?

Some of the seed we sell is Organic. We will indicate in the listing for a specific seed if it is Organic.

Under what conditions is seed stored?

Seed is professionally cleaned, catalogued and stored in our climate controlled seed room (at a constant temperature of 18 degrees celcius / 64 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Will my country allow the importation of seed?

We are currently unable to ship outside of South Africa due to the export requirements of the South African Department of Agriculture.

Will the seeds be suited to conditions in my country / area?

Each item we sell has both the USDA zone and the season to grow on the listing. Please see our page on USDA Zones for more information.

Do you sell plants or bulbs?

We dont't sell plants due to the stringent export requirements and the costs involved in getting export permits and phytosanitary certificates. Added to this each country has varying import requirements for the importation of live plants.From time to time we do offer rare bulbs for sale and it will be clearly indicated that they are bulbs and not seeds.

Do you combine shipments for items purchased across the different platforms you trade on?

Unfortunately we cant combine shipments for items bought on our other websites.

How are the seeds packed?

Please see our page for seed packaging for the different types of packaging we use.

I live in Cape Town. Can i collect my order?

Fully paid orders can be collected from Seeds for Africa Offices in Cape Town. Please see this page for full details. Please select the Pick-up option at checkout so we know you’ll be collecting. Please only come to collect after we’ve notified you that the order is ready for collection.

I want to come and buy products from your premises!
Yes you’re welcome to come to place an order at our premises but please keep in mind that depending on what you’re ordering it can take up to 30 mins for your order to be processed.
Are the seeds guarenteed to grow?
The success of growing from seed cannot be guarenteed due to many variables outside of our control, not limited to - weather and temperatures, watering, water quality, soil quality, the correct growing medium, pretreatment of seeds, sufficient light, drainage, pest and fungal control and the skill level of the grower.
 
Do the seeds require pretreatment, scarification or stratification?
Some species do require various forms of pretreatment. Pretreatment requirements are indicated on the growing sheet for that species. For a full explanation of the types of pretreatment that may be required please visit our page that describes these.
I would like a quotation for seeds!
We are an online retailer and do not issue quotations. Everything we sell is as listed on our website with prices and pack sizes.
 

We would like prices for a tender!

We do not participate in tenders, nor do we supply our products for any tender processes.

Do you offer bulk seed prices?

Yes, on certain species we can offer bulk seed prices. Please send us an email at seeds@seedsforafrica.co.za for a price.

We are a registered charity looking for donations!

At the beginning of each year we allocate a budget to a number of charitable initiatives that we support. We are unfortunately unable to take on any new causes during the year. Should your charity wish to be considered for next year, please feel free to email us during October and we will email you the relevant documents.

We would like to be a Seeds for Africa supplier!

We have strict criteria for the purchase of seeds which includes that they need to be germination tested, professionally cleaned, free of pests, date of harvest, place of harvest etc. Should you be willing to meet this criteria and wish to become as supplier please email seeds@seedsforafrica.co.za with details of what you would like to supply.

I need your banking details so I can pay for some items I saw on your website!

We will only send banking info once an order has been raised. If you haven't placed an order yet, please see our page on how to order

I am processing checkout. and there are no shipping options available for my area!

Please check that you have left a valid postal code for your street address. 

I require a tax invoice for my order!

Please insert your VAT number next to your company name when ordering. Tax invoices can be automatically downloaded from your order confirmation. 

Why have I been charged VAT on the seeds I have ordered!

Current tax legislation does not exempt seeds for planting from VAT being charged therefore we charge VAT on all items that we sell. We regularly receive the comment from customers asking why we charge VAT when other seed companies they deal with do not. The simple answer to that question is that they are either a small company who does not meet the threshold of being a VAT vendor and do not have to charge VAT or if they are a VAT vendor and not charging VAT on planting seeds, they are contravening the law. For more information and a detailed explanation, please see this blog post .