<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-10-13</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2003-10-15</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001124827</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>UTi WORLDWIDE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>UTIW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001238085</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DRAPER ALAN C</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O UTI, SERVICES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>19500 RANCHO WAY, SUITE 116</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>RANCHO DOMINGUEZ</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90220</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>See Exhibit 99.1</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Ordinary Shares, no par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-10-13</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>38600</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>33.55</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>544654</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Ordinary Shares, no par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-10-13</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>33.56</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>544254</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Ordinary Shares, no par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>28088</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By the Kay II Trust</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes></footnotes>

    <remarks>This Form 4 amends the Form 4 filed by the Reporting Person on October 15, 2003 (the &quot;Original Form 4&quot;), by including disclosure of shares held by the Reporting Person indirectly through the Kay II Trust in Table I above, which disclosure was originally reported in the Form 3 of the Reporting Person but was inadvertently omitted from the Original Form 4.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Stephen D. Cooke,
Attorney-In-Fact for Alan C. Draper</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-04-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
