The kinetics behaviour of the reactive extraction of teicoplanin with trioctyl-methyl-ammonium chloride (TOMAC) as extractant, dissolved in kerosene, was investigated. Experiments were carried out in a well-mixed system and a mathematical model was derived, based on the two-film theory of mass transfer, which allowed a quantitative description of the extraction kinetics. The effects of mixing speed, pH, antibiotic concentration, extractant concentration and ionic strength on both the forward and backward extractions of teicoplainin were assessed. Under the most favourable condition, the forward transfer step was generally found to be approximately two orders of magnitude faster than the backward transfer step. Meanwhile mass transfer mechanism governing the forward and backward extractions of teicoplainin was also developed. It was found that the transfer of teicoplanin in TOMAC/kerosene reactive extraction system was mainly controlled by the diffusional resistance in the organic film. In certain cases, such as at high concentration of antibiotic or extractant, interfacial reaction significantly controlled the antibiotic transfer between the aqueous and organic layers.