South Africa has an extensive logistics industry that supports the country's global trade competitiveness and economic integration. In 2024, the sector generated over half a trillion rand in annual economic output.

The country has a robust logistics industry, the network of which supports its supply chain, from manufacturing to the point of consumption. As in other developed countries, SA's logistics sector consists of, among other things, physical infrastructure such as trucks, warehouses and other storage facilities, local and international courier companies, institutional knowledge, and a multimodal transport system including airports, sea ports, rail freight, and road freight systems.

As of 2026, according to the World Bank, South Africa's logistics infrastructure and performance indices rank highly, continue to increase, and are comparable to those of China and the United States. In the 2023 World Bank Logistics Performance Index, South Africa ranked joint 19th place, out of 139 countries - an increase of 14 places since the previous year.

In recent years, the country's logistics, and in particular its freight sector, has shifted away from state-owned operations and infrastructure, and more towards public investment and public private partnerships.

Economic significance

In 2024, South Africa's logistics sector contributed R518.4 billion towards the country's GDP, a year-over-year increase of 4.3%.

South Africa's logistics sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2026 to 2033. In 2025, the country accounted for 2.3% of the global logistics market. In 2026, South Africa's logistics sector was growing the fastest out of all countries in the Middle East & Africa region.

Examples from Wesgro of the South African logistics sector's impact on the country's economy as a whole are in the table below.

Sector The role of logistics Logistics requirements Agriculture Inputs and products transported between processing sites and markets; supports export value chains (e.g., citrus, wine). Cold-chain logistics; reliable road and rail corridors; and reliable port access Construction Transporting heavy machinery and building materials to sites Heavy-haul transport capacity; dependable roadways; and efficient scheduling and delivery Fishing Distribution of seafood to domestic and export markets Cold storage; efficient ports; access to airfreight for perishable products Manufacturing Enables a supply of raw materials and distribution of finished goods Predictable inbound logistics; efficient distribution networks Mining Bulk commodities transported from mines to ports and processing hubs Multimodal, integrated transit systems; high-capacity corridors; operational reliability Pharmaceuticals & medical supplies Secure, on-time delivery of essential goods Secure transport; time-critical logistics and cold-chain for temperature-sensitive products Retail & e-commerce Enables fast, reliable delivery and replenishment of goods Robust warehousing and fulfilment facilities; courier networks; last-mile delivery network; tracking of goods

In terms of provincial impact, Gauteng contributed 34.7% of South Africa freight and logistics market activity in 2025. This was followed by the Western Cape, at 19.6%.

Industry structure

Major players

In terms of companies engaging directly in logistics, the sector in SA is highly competitive, with no dominant players. Among companies operating in the market are SA-based Transnet, UAE-based DP World (including its SA subsidiary Imperial Logistics), Switzerland-based Kuehne+Nagel, German-based DHL Group, and Denmark-based DSV (including German subsidiary DB Schenker).

Freight transport

South Africa's logistics sector consists of a combination of freight transport routes, including those by road, rail, air, and sea, which are shared by private and state-owned logistics companies.

State-owned Transnet owns, and for the most part manages, South Africa's rail and seaport assets. As of 2023, the total value of those assets was R7.5 billion.

Warehousing and distribution

Warehousing and distribution are major logistics segments, and are among the fastest-growing logistics services in South Africa.

Numerous developers have constructed large (30,000 sqm+) warehouse facilities along the N3 and N1 corridors, to facilitate the storage and distribution of consumer goods, including those from e-commerce companies. These warehouses support a retail sector that in 2024 was worth approximately R1.4 trillion. The presence of e-commerce companies such as Takealot, Amazon, AliExpress, Temu, and Shein continues to grow in South Africa, and these companies make extensive use of warehousing.

South Africa's food storage capacity as a proportion of production is high, and only slightly behind China's, despite having a population that is 21 times smaller.

Warehousing in South Africa is shifting from passive storage to technology-intensive logistics operations. Automation, inventory optimization, and e-commerce fulfilment are driving value-added services beyond traditional storage. Cold chain storage in South Africa is growing, supported by the food and pharmaceutical industries. South Africa's cold chain storage sector is the largest and most mature in Africa.

As of 2025, prime rent for warehousing averaged around R100 per sqm, and the average yield (return) was 8.25%.

Warehouses tend to be concentrated in and around South Africa's largest cities - most notably Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. The primary use varies between cities. For example, Durban and Cape Town's warehouses, which are close to the ocean, are focused on export markets. Meanwhile, Joburg's warehouses are focused on inland distribution. Johannesburg has the largest concentration of warehousing facilities in South Africa.

Examples of suburbs within major metros that have high concentrations of warehousing facilities are:

Cape Town: Montague Gardens, Epping Industria, Airport Industria Durban: Prospecton, Riverhorse Valley, Springfield Park Johannesburg: City Deep, Isando, Jet Park

Courier services

There are a large number of local and international courier companies operating in South Africa, delivering documents and parcels on-demand for individuals and commercial entities. These companies provide services such as domestic and international delivery, cross-border e-commerce logistics, customs clearance, freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, and last-mile parcel delivery. Courier companies operating in SA include:

Company type Courier company Parent company HQ of parent company Established in SA Reference SA companies Aerospeed Couriers Johannesburg, SA BEX Express Buffalo International CCD Couriers Collivery CourierIT The Courier Guy Fastway Couriers City Logistics Internet Express RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers The Courier Guy Foreign companies Aramex Dubai, UAE DHL DHL Group Bonn, Germany DPD Laser Geopost Issy-les-Moulineaux, France FedEx FedEx Corporation Memphis, USA UPS United Parcel Service Atlanta, USA

Mail and other parcel services

The government-owned South African Post Office (SAPO) is the primary provider of letter delivery. However, as in other countries, this means of delivering information has declined as digital communications have become preferred by many. In 2025, SAPO processed 142.7 million pieces of mail.

PostNet South Africa operates the local master franchise of American company PostNet. As of 2026, there are over 500 owner-operated PostNet locations across South Africa. These outlets offer services including mailboxes, and both local and international parcel delivery. Courier partners include DHL and Aramex.

Various companies operate automated parcel locker facilities and/or staffed pickup points inside retail outlets, in South Africa's major cities. These include Pargo, Bob Box, and PUDO (which is owned by The Courier Guy).

Freight transport

Road freight

Transport by road is by far the most popular means of moving freight around South Africa. As of October 2025, over 85% of land freight in SA travels by road. For every ton of freight moved by rail, more than six tons is moved by road. Each year, almost 1 billion tons (984 million) of freight is transported along South Africa's road networks. This is an increase of over 50% over the period between 2010 and 2025.

National roads in South Africa are administered by SANRAL, a state-owned company that reports to the Department of Transport. SANRAL is responsible for financing, managing, planning, developing, and maintaining the national road network. Municipalities also have control over and put funding into certain roadways. Certain avenues of private funding for roadways in South Africa also exist.

Air freight

South Africa's air freight sector serves primarily international trade rather than domestic distribution. Most air freight consists of high-value, perishable, and/or time-sensitive goods that cannot economically be transported by sea or road. Air freight represents well under 1% of South Africa's freight by mass, but carries a disproportionately high share of high-value goods.

The country's air cargo network is dominated by O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, which functions as Southern Africa's principal air cargo gateway. The airport has a total cargo capacity of 650,000 tons.

According to the Department of Transport's Draft Airfreight Strategy for South Africa, 2025, by weight, 95% of all air freight flows through O.R. Tambo, with a further 3% transiting via Cape Town International, and 1% via King Shaka International. The same draft identified O.R. Tambo International and Cape Town International as the country's principal air cargo gateways. Domestic air freight accounts for less than 5% of total air freight in SA.

South Africa's air freight market size was estimated at approximately R55.3 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 8.75% through 2030. Also in 2024, South Africa accounted for a 19.5% share of the total air freight market in the Middle East and Africa region.

The majority state-owned Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) manages all of South Africa's largest airports by cargo volume. The three largest such airports are O.R. Tambo International in Joburg, Cape Town International in Cape Town, and King Shaka International in Durban. These airports focus on different cargo:

O.R. Tambo is focused on most of SA's manufactured exports and imports Cape Town International deals primarily with agricultural exports, such as fruit, flowers, and seafood King Shaka International supports manufacturing and automotive exports

Out of all air freight flowing through South Africa's airports, O.R. Tambo handles

Major players in the South African air freight sector include South African Airways Cargo, Ethiopian Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Turkish Cargo, and Cargolux. Freight forwarders such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, and DSV also play a large role in the sector.

Rail freight

South Africa has a longer rail network than all other Sub-Saharan African countries combined, at a total length of 23,000 km. Its network also features most of the double track rail in the region. State-owned Transnet Freight Rail is one of the largest players in the region.

Approximately 15% of SA's land freight moves by rail.

As of 2026, South Africa has three "Bulk Mineral Rail Corridors", which are dedicated heavy haul lines for export minerals. These routes, which total 2,241km, are:

Sishen → Port of Saldanha (OREX), for transporting iron ore and manganese Ermelo → Richards Bay Coal Terminal, for transporting coal Northern Cape manganese fields → Gqeberha / Ngqura, for transporting manganese