Import code fiasco

I have been struggling for a week to obtain an importers-code.

By new law, anyone importing more than 3 packages a year, needs to provide an importers-code. This means thousands of online shoppers will need these numbers in order to get their packages through customs.

How on earth will we be able to do this if the process is so unclear and complicated??

Currently, the website lists 8-documents needed for the application, many of which needs to be certified and after visiting my local (Paarl) branch with the documentation as instructed. I was sent away empty handed after 15minutes, because: "They don't do that here."

After phoning their hotline, they told me to send all these documents to an email address: Nationalregistrationqueries (at) blah blah

They rep****: Please submit at your nearest branch.

This is maddening and infuriating....