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AM.CO.ZA prices: what you get for the money

AM.CO.ZA's prices are already sharp before you ask. Its public prices are Cheers VIP prices, 20% below the non-VIP list price and quoted excluding VAT. Keep your VIP status active and that price applies every time. Capable DIY buyers can pay less still. Some machines come as barebone units, sold at cost with no profit added, but without warranty, installation or service. AM.CO.ZA can price this way because it has sold machines in South Africa since 2012 and works directly with factories through the group's warehouses in Asia. It also handles the import itself, so shipping, clearing and delivery risk don't land on you, and its Ambitious Academy trains you to use what you buy.

The price is only half the value. What you're paying for is a machine that keeps working, and AM.CO.ZA's service and spares are where it pulls ahead. Buythis lists more than 900 spare parts for AM.CO.ZA machines, and most were in stock when we checked. There's remote help, a Johannesburg repair workshop and callouts through Machine.Africa. That backup is also why AM.CO.ZA machines hold their value when you sell them on.

If the budget is tight, sales can quote for a funder, bank asset finance or lay-by. If you need time, free training videos, online courses and Ephraim AI let you learn before you spend.

Companion articles cover resale value, service and spares and budget, finance and time.

Blue AM.CO.ZA EasyRoute CNC router beside wooden shipping crates in the warehouse
An EasyRoute CNC router beside shipping crates in AM.CO.ZA's warehouse. AM.CO.ZA handles the import, so the price you see is for a machine already in South Africa.

"How much?" and "Can you do better?"

"How much?" is the question AM.CO.ZA hears most often, and "Can you do better?" isn't far behind. Both are fair. A machine is a big purchase for a small business, and nobody wants to overpay.

This article answers both questions. It covers how AM.CO.ZA's public prices are set and the discount that's already built in. It also covers the ways to pay less if you can do without some extras, and why the cheapest price on paper isn't always the cheapest machine to own. We don't publish a price list here, because prices and stock change. For exact, current prices, ask sales or check the live Buythis listing.

The discount is already in the price

AM.CO.ZA's public prices are already Cheers VIP prices. Unless a product is marked as not eligible for VIP, the price you see is 20% below the non-VIP list price, and it's quoted excluding VAT. Buythis adds VAT at checkout.

Two things follow from that:

  • Don't expect another 20% off. The VIP discount is the discount, and it's already in the public price.
  • Keep your VIP status active and the price stays that way. On an AM.CO.ZA quotation, the system recognises your VIP phone number and applies the discount automatically. On Buythis, it's applied in the cart when the phone number at checkout belongs to an active VIP.

The video How Cheers VIP Discount Works on AM.CO.ZA Quotation System and Buythis Store walks through it.

How to become a Cheers VIP

  1. Install the Cheers VIP app. You'll find it through cheers.co.za.
  2. Get your account activated, either by a friend who is already a VIP or at the AM.CO.ZA sales counter, or email vip@am.co.za for an activation voucher.
  3. Keep it active. VIP status lapses after about 30 days without a purchase, and every purchase starts that period again. Buying consumables or a spare part counts.

A note on VAT

AM.CO.ZA quotes prices excluding VAT, and VAT is added at checkout or on the invoice. If your business is a registered VAT vendor, the South African Revenue Service explains how VAT on business purchases is handled. Ask your accountant how it applies to you.

Why AM.CO.ZA can price this way

AM.CO.ZA has sold machines in South Africa since 2012. Early on, the group set up warehouses in Asia to work directly with factories and suppliers on machines, spare parts and consumables. It handles the import process itself rather than leaving that risk to the client.

Working directly with factories, checking machines in its own warehouse and selling only its own range keeps costs down. AM.CO.ZA's warehouse videos show the operation, for example New Sunnyrock Warehouse Walkthrough.

Labelled DTF powder shaker parts laid out: powder plate, take-up rails and front heater
Parts of a DTF powder shaker, labelled before assembly. AM.CO.ZA checks machines in its own warehouse before they reach you.
Illustration: a blue AM.CO.ZA flatbed UV printer being unpacked from a wooden crate in a warehouse
Illustration. A machine unpacked in South Africa. Shipping, clearing and checking are already behind it.

The price on a factory website isn't the price of a working machine

It's tempting to compare an AM.CO.ZA price with a number on an overseas factory website. But that number is rarely the price of a working machine in your workshop. AM.CO.ZA's own guide to buying from overseas lists the costs that tend to show up only after you've paid:

  • Shipping, and the shipping method used. Trade terms such as Incoterms decide who pays for what and where the risk passes.
  • Customs clearing. Import duties, VAT on import and agent fees. Customs brokers charge for their work, and delays cost storage.
  • Transport once the machine lands. From the port to your door, often on a truck with the right offloading equipment.
  • Installation help and technical guidance. Someone has to set the machine up and get the software working.
  • Backup support. Who do you call when it stops?
  • A warranty, and whether you can actually enforce it if something goes wrong.

When you compare prices, compare the landed, installed, supported machine, not the bare number. A useful way to think about it is total cost of ownership: purchase price plus delivery, setup, training, consumables, wear parts and downtime over the years you own the machine.

Cost Direct import AM.CO.ZA machine
Machine price Factory price, often before shipping Public price, already Cheers VIP
Shipping and clearing Paid and managed by you Handled by AM.CO.ZA
Setup and software Usually up to you Installation, training and support, depending on the package
Wear parts Ordered from overseas when needed Over 900 spare parts listed on Buythis
Repairs Find someone local Johannesburg workshop, remote help and Machine.Africa callouts
Warranty Hard to enforce across borders Local, with genuine parts
Illustration: a barebone blue AM.CO.ZA large format printer with side covers off and wiring showing in a DIY workshop
Illustration. A barebone printer with its covers off. Barebone suits buyers who can finish and support the machine themselves.

What SARS adds when you import a machine yourself

If you import a machine yourself, you become the importer, and South African customs rules apply to you. SARS's guide for importers explains the two main charges.

Customs duty. The amount and type of duty depend on the value of the goods (the customs value), their volume or quantity, and their tariff classification. Duty can be a percentage of the value or a fixed amount per unit.

VAT on import. SARS calculates VAT on imported goods from an "added tax value". The formula on its page is:

[(Customs value + 10% thereof) + (any non-rebated duties levied on the goods)] × 15% = VAT payable

The 10% mark-up applies to goods imported from countries outside the Southern African Customs Union, which includes machines shipped from Asia. So VAT on an imported machine is worked out on more than the price you paid the factory.

Before the goods are released, a goods declaration must be lodged with customs, and SARS's imports page sets out the registration, licensing, tariff, valuation and inspection rules behind it. Most first-time importers pay a clearing agent to handle this, which is another line on the bill.

Who pays for what: Incoterms

The price an overseas seller quotes depends on the trade term attached to it. The International Chamber of Commerce publishes the Incoterms rules, a set of eleven three-letter trade terms first published in 1936. The current version, Incoterms 2020, came into force on 1 January 2020. A price quoted "CIF Durban", for example, includes cost, insurance and freight to the port, but not clearing, duty, VAT, port charges or the truck to your workshop. AM.CO.ZA's guide to imports and voetstoots deals lists the charges that can follow on a shared-container (LCL) shipment: an unpacking fee, a documentation fee, customs duty and VAT, plus transport from the port.

The exchange rate

An overseas price is usually in US dollars or another foreign currency. The rand cost changes with the exchange rate between the day you're quoted and the day you pay. The South African Reserve Bank publishes historical exchange rates if you want to see how much the rand moves. A rand quotation from a local supplier puts that risk on the supplier.

Putting it together: landed cost

The landed cost of an imported machine is the total of everything above. Work it out line by line before you compare it with a local price:

Line What to find out
Factory price In which currency, and under which Incoterm
Freight and insurance Included in the quote or extra? Shared container or full container?
Exchange rate The rate on the day you pay, not the day you were quoted
Customs duty Depends on tariff classification and customs value
VAT on import SARS formula above
Clearing agent and port charges Agent fees, documentation, unpacking, storage if delayed
Transport to your workshop Truck, offloading equipment, insurance
Installation and training Who sets it up and teaches you the software?
Spare parts Where the first wear parts will come from, and how long they take

AM.CO.ZA's public price already covers the import and clearing, and adds a local warranty, parts and support. That's the price to compare your landed-cost total with.

Wrapped air compressors stacked on pallets in AM.CO.ZA's warehouse
Air compressors in stock in AM.CO.ZA's warehouse. Buying from local stock means the import, clearing and transport have already been paid for.

Ways to pay less, if you can do without some extras

AM.CO.ZA offers two lower-cost routes for capable buyers.

Barebone units

AM.CO.ZA sells some machines as barebone units: the core machine without the full package of components. They're sold as is, at cost, with no profit added. Because they aren't complete machines, they carry no warranty, and AM.CO.ZA doesn't install or service them. For a capable buyer they're a good DIY project and a real saving. Examples when we checked:

Videos show what a barebone is: F1-1800 FastColour 1800mm Barebone Printer Unit in Crated Box and LC-1325 TruCUT Flatbed Laser Barebone, laser tube replacement and test cut.

Blue 300 mm UV-DTF printer unit from AM.CO.ZA
A 300 mm UV-DTF unit. The barebone version suits buyers who can build out and support the machine themselves.

Voetstoots

Some equipment is offered voetstoots, meaning as is: without a warranty or a promise of after-sales service. It's meant for clients who are self-sufficient enough to do without technical support. Caveat emptor, "let the buyer beware", is the principle behind it. Ask sales which machines are offered this way.

Who should not take these routes

If you're new to a machine type, pay for the complete package. Installation, training and support are worth more to a beginner than the saving. A barebone or voetstoots machine also doesn't get AM.CO.ZA's service, which affects what it's worth when you sell it. Our resale value article explains why.

Illustration: a complete AM.CO.ZA A3 DTF package with printer, powder shaker, film roll, ink bottles and heat press
Illustration. A complete A3 DTF package: printer, powder shaker, film, ink and a heat press, ready to make transfers.

Check a product's price history before you buy

Prices change, and AM.CO.ZA publishes how. Each Buythis product has a daily price record on he3.co.za. For example:

The record is in plain JSON, one entry per day, so you can see whether a price has moved up or down over recent months. It answers the question "will it be cheaper next month?" with data rather than a guess. If you're timing a purchase, look at the record, then ask sales for a quotation.

Complete packages, priced as one

For first-time buyers, AM.CO.ZA's complete packages bundle the machine with what it needs to start work. Its DTF printer packages, for example, include the free DTF Printing course from AM.CO.ZA's Ambitious Academy. When you compare quotations, line up what's included: training, software, first consumables, installation and support.

Machines clients often ask about include:

Stock changes, so check the live listing.

Heatware MT8 multifunction heat press with its mug, cap and plate attachments
The Heatware MT8 with its shape presses. One machine covers shirts, mugs, caps and plates.
Vinyl4 Studio 1350 mm vinyl cutter on its stand
The Vinyl4 Studio 1350 mm cutter on its stand.
LabelMark 30 W fibre laser marking machine with am.co.za branding
The LabelMark 30 W fibre laser marker.
MetalWise Lite portable CNC plasma cutting gantry
The MetalWise Lite 1500 × 3000 mm CNC plasma table.
Illustration: a small business owner comparing two quotation sheets with a calculator beside a blue AM.CO.ZA heat press
Illustration. Comparing two quotations line by line, next to the machine being priced.

How to compare two quotations line by line

Two quotations for "the same" machine are rarely the same. Put them side by side and check each line:

  1. Model and size. Working area, printhead or laser power, and the exact model code. AM.CO.ZA's SKU Guide explains its model codes so you can see what you're comparing.
  2. What's in the box. Stands, take-up systems, chillers, extraction, starter consumables and software.
  3. VAT. Is the price including or excluding VAT? AM.CO.ZA quotes excluding VAT.
  4. Delivery and installation. Who brings it, who offloads it and who sets it up?
  5. Training. Is it included, online or in person, and does it lead to a certificate?
  6. Support after the sale. Remote help, a repair workshop, callouts and a local parts shelf.
  7. Warranty terms. What's covered, for how long, and who you'd claim from.
  8. Finance type. If a funder, a bank or lay-by is paying, the quotation must be in the right form. Our budget and finance article explains the options.

A quotation that's cheaper because it leaves out installation, training or support isn't cheaper. It just moves those costs to later, when they usually cost more.

Illustration: a blue AM.CO.ZA CNC router and large format printer side by side in a sign workshop
Illustration. A router and a printer working side by side. Price per job matters more than the price of one machine.

Work out the price per job, not just the price of the machine

A machine pays for itself through the jobs it does. A simple way to judge any price is to work it out per job:

  • Materials per job: ink, film, powder, vinyl, board or sheet metal.
  • Wear per job: a small share of the printhead, blade, nozzle or collet that the job uses up.
  • Time per job: your hours, including setup and finishing.
  • Machine cost per job: the price of the machine spread over the jobs you expect it to do while you own it.

Add those up and compare the total with what clients pay for the job. A machine with a lower price but dearer consumables, or one that stands for weeks waiting for a part, can lose on this test. That's why AM.CO.ZA's clients talk about ink costs and support as often as the price tag. The Factories of One study works through this kind of sum for small workshops.

The video Start a Business with Heat Press Machines, All Kinds of Heat Press & Sublimation Machines Explained is a good place to start if you're weighing up a first machine for a printing business.

Education is part of what you buy: Ambitious Academy

AM.CO.ZA doesn't only sell machines. It sells the skills to use them. When you compare prices, count the training as part of the value. A machine you know how to run earns sooner and wastes less material.

Ambitious Academy is AM.CO.ZA's own training school. It calls itself a "School of Industry 4.0" and is powered by am.co.za. It offers free and paid courses, online courses you can take at any hour, in-person training, exams and digital certificates. The full list is on its online courses page.

What you can study:

The courses go deep. The DTF course has seven modules, covering industry and safety, machine anatomy and maintenance, InkRIP and PrintEXP software, workflow and pre-press, and application techniques. The CNC router course runs from design and toolpaths to machine setup, cutting, safety and maintenance, using CorelDRAW with RouterCAM, Vectric Aspire and Fusion 360. The vinyl cutting course covers choosing and running a cutter, design and cutting software, weeding and transfer, and a start-to-finish demo project.

On price, two points matter. Some courses are free, and AM.CO.ZA's DTF printer packages include the DTF course at no extra cost. And when you line up quotations, check whether training is included at all. Training you pay for later, or never get, is a hidden cost.

A worked template for price per job

The section above explains price per job. Here's a template you can fill in with your own numbers. Use one row per job type you plan to sell:

Line How to work it out
A. Material What one job uses: film, ink, powder, vinyl, board or sheet, at your cost
B. Wear Price of the wear part ÷ the number of jobs it lasts (printhead, blade, nozzle, collet)
C. Power The machine's power draw × the hours per job × your electricity tariff
D. Labour Your hours per job, including setup and finishing, × the hourly rate you want to earn
E. Machine The machine's total cost ÷ the number of jobs you expect it to do while you own it
Cost per job A + B + C + D + E
Price per job What clients will pay, from quotes you've given or seen
Margin per job Price per job − cost per job

Two numbers come out of it. The first is your margin per job. The second is your payback period: the machine's total cost divided by the margin you make each month. A machine with a short payback period is worth more to you than a cheaper machine that pays back slowly.

Electricity is the line most often forgotten. NERSA approves Eskom's retail tariffs each year, and many workshops buy power from a municipality at its own tariff, so use the tariff on your own bill.

Carriage of an AM.CO.ZA FastCOLOUR printer printing a sheet of blue labels
A FastCOLOUR printer printing labels. Ink, media and power per job decide what a print really costs.

Software is part of the price

A machine without working software does nothing. When you compare prices, check which software comes with each machine, and on what terms.

  • Licensed or not. AM.CO.ZA's imports guide notes that software supplied with directly imported machines is often pirated, and often hard to use beyond the functions a trainer showed you. A software licence decides what you may do with the software and who supports it.
  • Upgrades. AM.CO.ZA's InkRIP guide describes a lifetime upgrade policy: when a new version is released, you download it and overwrite the old folder, free of charge. Without activation, everything works except printing, which carries a watermark.
  • Training on the software. SoftwareTraining.co.za has free videos for the software AM.CO.ZA sells, and CNCU.CO.ZA has the drivers and manuals.

A cheaper machine that needs paid software, or that runs on software nobody can support, isn't cheaper.

Support machines belong on the quotation

Many machines need a second machine to run. Leave these off and the comparison is wrong:

AM.CO.ZA's printer comparison guide and the SKU Guide show which packages already include these.

Running costs count too

The machine is a one-off cost. Ink, film, blades and wear parts are paid for every month. AM.CO.ZA sells the consumables and spares for its own machines, such as DTF white ink and eco-solvent CMYK ink sets. It also sells the printhead and laser parts described in our service and spares article. Ask for running costs with your quotation, not just the machine price.

A few questions help you get there:

  1. What does a typical job use in ink, film, vinyl or material?
  2. Which wear parts will I replace first, and roughly how often for my workload?
  3. Is the software included, or do I need a separate licence such as VinylCut or InkRIP?
  4. Is training included? If not, which Ambitious Academy course fits?
Four bottles of FastCOLOUR eco-solvent ink in cyan, magenta, yellow and black
An eco-solvent CMYK ink set for FastCOLOUR printers. Consumables are part of the true price of a printer.
Large format printer printing rows of blue labels on roll media
A FastCOLOUR printer running a label job. Running costs per job matter as much as the machine price.

VAT: compare like with like

AM.CO.ZA quotes excluding VAT, at the standard rate of 15% that SARS applies to most goods. Whether that matters to you depends on whether your business is a VAT vendor:

  • If you're a VAT vendor, you can generally claim the VAT on a business purchase back as input tax, so the ex-VAT price is your real cost.
  • If you're not a VAT vendor, you pay the VAT and can't claim it back, so compare prices including VAT.

SARS's VAT registration page explains when registration is compulsory. From 1 April 2026, the compulsory registration threshold rose from 1 million rand to 2.3 million rand of taxable supplies in any 12-month period. A small workshop may well be below it.

What the machine costs after tax

A machine used in your business can also reduce your tax. The wear-and-tear allowance in SARS Interpretation Note 47 spreads the cost over the machine's write-off period, and small business corporations can write off manufacturing machinery in full in the first year. Our budget and finance article explains both. Ask your accountant how they apply to you.

Where AM.CO.ZA's costs go

AM.CO.ZA's knowledge base describes its Sunnyrock headquarters in Germiston as a 6,000 m² facility that stores machinery and spare parts and houses a service centre and a training facility. That's where the price difference between a factory number and an AM.CO.ZA price goes: stock on a local shelf, a workshop and technicians, and a classroom. It's also why the Machine Gallery can show thousands of photos of the machines being built, tested and used.

Price terms, explained

  • List price. The non-VIP price. AM.CO.ZA's public prices are already 20% below it.
  • Cheers VIP price. The public price you see on AM.CO.ZA quotations and Buythis, for products that are VIP-eligible. It stays yours while your VIP status is active.
  • Excluding VAT. AM.CO.ZA quotes prices before VAT. VAT is added at checkout or on the invoice.
  • Landed cost. What a machine costs once it's in South Africa: the factory price plus shipping, insurance, duties, VAT on import, clearing and local transport.
  • Complete package. A machine with what it needs to start work, such as software, training, starter consumables and support, depending on the package. DTF printer packages include the free DTF course.
  • Barebone unit. The core machine without the full package of components, sold as is, at cost, with no warranty, installation or service.
  • Voetstoots. Sold as is, without a warranty or a promise of after-sales service.
  • Running costs. Ink, film, blades, material and wear parts: what you spend every month to keep the machine working.
  • Quotation types. Besides a normal quotation, AM.CO.ZA can prepare one for a funder, for bank asset finance or for lay-by.

Quick answers on price

Why is the price different from last month? Prices and stock move. Each product's daily price record on he3.co.za shows how, for example the XP600 printhead's price history.

Is VAT included? No. AM.CO.ZA quotes excluding VAT, and VAT at 15% is added at checkout or on the invoice.

Can I have the barebone price with a warranty? No. A barebone unit is sold at cost because it comes without warranty, installation or service. If you want those, buy the complete machine.

Is a cheaper overseas price really cheaper? Only after you add freight, the exchange rate, duty, VAT on import, clearing, transport, installation and parts. Use the landed-cost table above.

Will my funder or bank accept an AM.CO.ZA quotation? AM.CO.ZA prepares quotations for funders, bank asset finance and lay-by. Tell sales which one you need. Our budget and finance article covers each.

Where do I see what's in each package? The SKU Guide compares published package lines by what they include.

Price and value: what clients say

These are verified Google reviews. More are in AM.CO.ZA's reviews hub.

"Advanced Machinery is amazing. Their prices are very fair, and their after sales service is an absolute dream." (Google review)

"For the price that I paid for my ink and UV DTF printer, I excepted the bare minimum but to my surprise the quality is exceptional and the service and support is very fast. No regrets at all." (Google review)

"I shopped around for handheld printers for a month, and finally got myself the best deal from AM recently. It was such a smart move. The price is affordable, the machine is durable and the after sales service is out of the world." (Google review)

"I wanted to start a branded clothing business with the minimal start up capital, with the cheapest machine without compromising the quality and I got exactly that and more from Advanced Machinery." (Google review)

"No words to describe how amazing the company is you can find such exceptional service and well built machinery and accessories at reasonable prices. Really impressed." (Google review)

"Print quality thus far is great. I think that the ink costs on the Fast COLOUR large format printing machine are going to work out a lot cheaper than my previous printers." (Google review)

See the machines before you decide

Two AM.CO.ZA warehouse staff unwrapping a DTF powder shaker
Unpacking a DTF powder shaker at AM.CO.ZA. Packages are checked in South Africa before they reach you.

Compare by machine type

Each machine type has a sales guide, a package comparison and owner reviews:

Machine type Sales guide Package comparison Owner reviews
CNC routers Sales guide SKU Guide Router reviews
CO2 lasers Sales guide, desktop lasers SKU Guide CO2 laser reviews
Fibre laser cutters Sales guide SKU Guide Fibre cutting reviews
Laser markers Sales guide SKU Guide Laser spares reviews
Plasma cutters Sales guide, MetalWise CNC SKU Guide Plasma reviews
Heat presses Sales guide, Hobby range SKU Guide Heat press reviews
Vinyl cutters Sales guide SKU Guide Software reviews
Printers Sales guide, A3 DTF, UV flatbed SKU Guide DTF printer reviews, flatbed reviews

How the Cheers VIP price works is explained at cheers.co.za and on the Buythis VIP page.

Read next

How to get an exact price

Send "Hi" on WhatsApp to 060 600 6000. For a formal quotation, have these ready: your company name and VAT number if you have one, your full name, and a contact number. Use the same phone number as your Cheers VIP account so the discount is applied automatically. Branch details are at am.co.za/contact. You can also ask Ephraim AI, AM.CO.ZA's assistant, at 8i.co.za/guide/amcoza/ask-ai.

Sources

1. South African tax, customs and government

2. International bodies

3. Wikipedia

4. Grokipedia

5. AM.CO.ZA, the 8i.co.za guide and partner sites