If you’ve ever ordered a product from China in South Africa, chances are you’ve used BUFFALO — the leading logistics solution for companies sending from one country to the other.
So it’s critical to know where your BUFFALO order is to avoid the frustration of a missed delivery.
Below, we’ll define BUFFALO tracking and cover the difference between status updates. Then we’ll explain how long they take to deliver and what to do if something goes wrong.
About BUFFALO
Headquartered in Shanghai and Johannesburg, BUFFALO Express has warehouses in both cities and a self-owned distributing team of 40 drivers and 30 vehicles.
Designed to avoid complicated bureaucracy when Chinese retailers send products to South Africa, BUFFALO plans to cover the entire continent soon.
With their management system, they can maximize their efficiency in the future and become the most critical logistics service between China and Africa.
Using your BUFFALO tracking number is the easiest way to track your package. With it, you’ll know every part of your order journey, from when it leaves the warehouse until it arrives.
BUFFALO package tracking guide
BUFFALO uses scannable bar codes and tracking numbers — so finding your order should be easy once you know how, here’s how to do that!
How to find your BUFFALO tracking number
Like most delivery logistics services, BUFFALO uses a barcode and tracking number system. The first thing you need to follow a package is a BUFFALO tracking number.
All BUFFALO tracking numbers combine letters and numbers and vary depending on where your order is going and the contents.
The seller will send your BUFFALO tracking number in a confirmation email when you place an order online. Contact the seller if they need to send you one.
After you get a BUFFALO tracking number, you can use it to stay updated throughout your package's journey—including where it is and at what status.
So how does BUFFALO tracking work?
Depending on where it's going from and to, your package may travel through many checkpoints to its destination. BUFFALO will scan it at each scheduled stop.
When someone from BUFFALO scans your package, your tracking number will update Circuit Package Tracker with the location and status.
Now you know how to find your BUFFALO tracking number, finding your order should be easy—here is how to do that!
How to track your BUFFALO package location
There are a few ways to trace your BUFFALO package with your tracking number, but the easiest is to search at the top of this page.
To use Circuit, copy and paste the number from your confirmation email into the search above and hit “Track package” or enter to get your package's status.
You can also use the BUFFALO tracking tool.
Lost BUFFALO tracking number
Finding your BUFFALO package is only possible with the tracking number.
Already gone through your emails and still need help finding the number? The fastest solution is to contact the sender and ask them for it before contacting BUFFALO customer services.
Solving BUFFALO tracking issues
When sending packages internationally, anything can happen.
For instance, traffic on the road can lead to delays at the airport, or customs can hold your package and cause hold-ups for an unknown time.
Contact the seller or BUFFALO customer service if your order takes longer than your estimated delivery date.
Why you can’t track your BUFFALO package
No courier is perfect — you might have tracking issues for several reasons. Most are a simple human error, and a package is rarely lost forever.
However, there are several ways to diagnose and fix BUFFALO tracking issues.
Here’s why you might not track your package, why it is not updating or moving, and how to solve common tracking problems.
Why your BUFFALO package is not updating or moving
Tracking BUFFALO orders should be simple. However, it's common for international orders to have delays that cause frustration with your delivery.
If you’ve placed an online order, the merchant should send you a confirmation email with your tracking information after BUFFALO collects it.
However, BUFFALO may still need to start the delivery process. It usually takes around 48 hours for this to happen so that you can track it.
So firstly, check your email inbox. The seller may have sent you an email to confirm whether the BUFFALO has sent or received your order.
The following reason is that BUFFALO may need to enter it into their tracking system. You'll just need to wait a day or so for them to scan your package and update Circuit Package Tracker.
Other reasons you can’t track your BUFFALO package include missed delivery, poor weather, or heavy traffic—especially with long-distance packages.
Also, if you're waiting for a package during the holiday season or at a time of year when there are a lot of orders and gift-giving, you can expect a longer wait time.
In a less likely event, BUFFALO may have damaged your package or its label. BUFFALO will post it back to the sender, who will contact you if this is the case.
With international deliveries, BUFFALO may transfer a package to another courier once it reaches the destination country. In this case, you might not find any updates during that time.
Reasons include incorrect delivery addresses, customs holding the package for checks, and poor weather conditions delaying delivery.
You can search your BUFFALO tracking number in Circuit Package Tracker to find your latest status.
BUFFALO usually takes three to four days to deliver an order. Contact BUFFALO’s customer service for help if you can't track your package after this time.
BUFFALO tracking status explained
There are nine statuses for BUFFALO tracking, including “order confirmed,” “clearance,” and “Client received.”
If your tracking status says “order confirmed,” – your order is on the way! After this, your tracking status should update as BUFFALO scans your package at various points along the route.
But with so many tracking updates, it can be challenging to know the difference! Here is a guide to each of the nine BUFFALO statuses:
- Order confirmed: the order is on the way to or arriving at the BUFFALO warehouse in Shanghai, China.
- Enter warehouse: the order has arrived at the BUFFALO warehouse in China.
- Out of warehouse: the order has left the BUFFALO Warehouse and is on the way to the airport.
- Clearance: the order is at the airport in China and is awaiting flight details for Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Air shipping: the order has left China and is in the air on the way to Johannesburg.
- At destination: after BUFFALO processes your order in South Africa, “At destination” means they prepare it for dispatch to Johannesburg.
- Inbound: the order has arrived at the BUFFALO headquarters and warehouse in Johannesburg.
- Dispatching: the order is and is out for delivery with a partner courier and is on its way to its final address.
- Client received: the order has arrived at its final destination.
Why BUFFALO has delayed your order
Your BUFFALO package may be in transit longer than you expect. Reasons include it’s on the way to or at the airport or on the way to Johannesburg.
Other delivery delays include technical issues with the BUFFALO tracking system and poor traffic or bad weather in China or South Africa.
A good rule of thumb is to mark the time you noticed your package has been "stuck" at a stage and then give it to the next day and find out if BUFFALO has updated Circuit Package Tracker.
Contact BUFFALO customer service for help if your package is delayed for four days or more.
How long a BUFFALO package can stay in transit
BUFFALO usually delivers from China to South Africa within four days — sometimes faster.
However, delays outside of BUFFALO's control do sometimes happen. Below we’ll cover the most common reasons for delivery delays and what you can do.
Causes for BUFFALO tracking delays
There are many stages where a delivery delay can happen. Before you fret, check the tracking status in Circuit Package Tracker.
BUFFALO uses the term "dispatching” for when your package has finished processing in Johannesburg and left the warehouse for final delivery.
At this point, a partner courier collects your package from the warehouse, and BUFFALO transfers tracking to them to complete the delivery.
Sometimes this transfer from BUFFALO to the partner courier tracking system can cause delays between "dispatching" and "client received."
Contact BUFFALO customer service for help if your package is delayed for four days or more.
BUFFALO delivery times
Standard door-to-door BUFFALO delivery is four days and sometimes faster.
But it can sometimes take longer.
As BUFFALO ships items from China to South Africa, your items must go through customs in both countries and a partner courier in South Africa.
Also, remember that when your package is with the partner courier, they are responsible for the final delivery date and time.
BUFFALO delivery times: what time will your package arrive?
Delivery time depends on which courier partner BUFFALO use.
BUFFALO will tell you which courier will deliver your package after it arrives in Johannesburg and when the partner courier collects it. From there, you can visit their website for help.
Generally, most courier companies deliver during standard business hours and by 8 pm.
Lost and missed BUFFALO deliveries
Sometimes orders get lost in the process. Several things can happen to your package from transit to the airport and then from the airport to the final destination.
Here is a guide on what to do if your package gets lost or you miss the delivery.
What happens if you miss a BUFFALO delivery
Most couriers will make another delivery attempt if you miss them and send you an email or leave a card explaining what to do.
They’ll likely keep your package for about a week before returning it to the sender.
So check your email to find out if the BUFFALO courier has left you a message, and contact BUFFALO customer service for help if you’re concerned.
What to do if you haven’t got your BUFFALO package
If BUFFALO is late to deliver your package and Circuit Package Tracker hasn’t updated for some time, first contact the sender.
If your courier says they delivered your package when you don’t have it, contact the sender and then BUFFALO customer service for help.
BUFFALO tracking FAQs
Here are BUFFALO customers’ most common tracking questions answered.
Is BUFFALO delivery fast?
BUFFALO tracking is fast, delivering most packages from China to South Africa within four business days.
Can I track BUFFALO packages by address?
You cannot track a BUFFALO package by the address. Instead, the online seller will email you a tracking number that you can use with Circuit Package Tracker.
How do I know if my BUFFALO package is stuck in customs?
Does Circuit Package Tracker say customs are holding your package? In this case, the customs office will send you a letter with more information. You may get one or all of the following:
- A BUFFALO email notification.
- An email from your seller.
- Find “air shipping” or “at destination” as your tracking status for a few days.
Customs can take a few hours to several weeks to clear your package for many reasons—including an incorrect delivery address, unpaid fees, package contents, and more.
Contact BUFFALO customer service for help if customs hold your package for 72 hours or more.
What's an Importers Code?
If you want to ship from China to South Africa, you must have an Importers Code if the value of your imports is more than R50,000 or if you import more than three times a year.
Importer's Codes, or South African Clearance ID numbers, are essential for the clearance process to get permission for entry.
You'll get your Importer's Code ten days after applying. There are no fees, and the code never expires. Here’s more about South Africa’s Customs Regulations.
