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    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2025

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 31 July 2025

    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2023

    Marthinus Havenga | South Africa | 14 August 2023

    Report Info

    Report Summary Table of Contents
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    Report Coverage

    This report on transport and logistics trends in South Africa includes information on key trends in the country’s transport and logistics sectors. It includes the activities of Transnet, which is responsible for most of the country’s rail and port infrastructure and operations, and logistics providers. The report provides information on the logistics environment and infrastructure, and indications of the size of the sector including transport GDP and growth prospects, logistics sector performance, port activity and air transport. The report examines major trends such as opening transport infrastructure to private operators, the shift from road to rail, and border post modernisation and regional trade facilitation. Other major trends under discussion are ecommerce and logistics digitisation, cold storage logistics demand, consolidation, geopolitical disruptions and route diversions, and major challenges. As this is a special trends report, it does not include company profiles. These can be found in reports on the underlying industries covered in this report.

    Introduction

    • South Africa’s transport and logistics sector plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth, facilitating trade, and connecting communities.
    • The country has a well-developed multimodal infrastructure network, including road, rail, port and air.
    • Years of underinvestment, operational inefficiencies, and maladministration have undermined the transport system, prompting a renewed focus on sector reform.
    • The government is exploring private sector participation in rail freight and passenger rail.

    Outlook

    • Supported by strategic reforms, infrastructure investment, and regional trade expansion, South Africa’s transport and logistics sector is on track for growth.
    • Key targets include shifting freight onto rail to reduce road congestion and upgrading port operations.
    • Airport passenger volumes are expected to more than double by 2030, while airfreight is expected to increase.
    • The broader logistics sector is forecast to expand at over 6% annually, supported by greater private sector participation.
    • National policy reforms aim to restore rail as the backbone of the logistics system and boost the competitiveness of all modes of transportation.

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    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa
    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2025

    Full Report

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1136.24 (USD)*

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    Historical Reports

    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2023-08-14

    R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $369.28 (USD)*

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. LOGISTICS SECTOR OVERVIEW 1
    2.1. Description and Role Players 1
    2.2. Logistics Environment 4
    2.3. Logistics Infrastructure 5
    3. SIZE OF THE SECTOR 9
    3.1. Transport GDP growth 9
    3.2. Growth Prospects 10
    4. LAND FREIGHT 12
    5. LOGISTICS SECTOR PERFORMANCE 14
    6. PORT ACTIVITY 16
    7. AIR TRANSPORT 19
    8. INDUSTRY TRENDS 20
    9. GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS 29
    9.1. World Bank Logistics Performance Index 29
    9.2. Ports 31
    10. TRANSPORT SECTOR CHALLENGES 32
    10.1. Economic Loss due to Rail Inefficiencies 32
    10.2. Effects of Poor Road Conditions 33
    10.3. Transport Vehicle Attacks 33
    10.4. Cable Theft on the Transnet Rail Network 35
    11. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS 37
    12. OUTLOOK 40
    13. REFERENCES 40
    13.1. Publications 40
    13.2. Websites 42

    Report Coverage

    This trends report includes a description of the logistics sector and its environment, infrastructure, major role players and performance. The report discusses the shift from rail to road, port activity, global competitiveness, and sector challenges, such as the effect of rail inefficiencies and poor road infrastructure and conditions, transport vehicle attacks and cable theft. Who Owns Whom trends reports do not include company profiles. These and more detailed analyses on the industry and its players are contained in several separate related Who Owns Whom reports.

    Introduction

    • South Africa’s commercial activity and economic performance are closely linked to its ability to transport goods within and beyond its borders.
    • The logistics sector has outpaced economic growth of the last two years.
    • Although transport infrastructure is among the best on the continent, a lack of maintenance and infrastructure investment, with a resultant shift from rail to road, as well as congested and inefficient ports, has led to high usage costs.
    • The deterioration of logistics performance compared to other countries is evident in South Africa’s low ranking in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index and its Container Port Performance Index.
    • The sector is plagued by low economic growth, rising fuel prices, loadshedding, a lack of skills, collapsing infrastructure and crime.
    • Government has recently renewed its commitment to fix the problems in the sector.

    Selected Highlights

    Miscellaneous Logistics Changes
    • In 2022 the logistics sector contributed R451.4bn to GDP at current prices, 12% more than R402.8bn in 2021. The sector’s share of GDP increased to 8.8% in real prices in 2022 from only 5.9% in 1993, to reach 9.0% of GDP by the first quarter of 2023.• South Africa has a land mass of 1.2 million km2 and a total coastline of 2,798km making it the 25th largest in the world.• The freight moved by rail has halved from 30% of total land transport tonnages in January 2015, to 14% by May 2023, while the share of road freight transport has increased from 70% to 86%.• Post-pandemic recovery of automotive exports is evident in a 30.4% increase in the number of vehicles handled at ports 2021 and a 28.1% increase in 2022.• The transport sector accounts for 10.8% of all greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport contributing 91.2% of the transport sector’s share. The DoT’s Green Transport Strategy aims to reduce emissions by shifting 30% of freight transport from road to rail and converting 5% of the vehicle fleet to cleaner alternative fuel and efficient technology vehicles in the next five years.

    Outlook

    • Despite a tough economic environment, the logistics sector is poised to continue to grow over the next decade as goods still need to be transported, and due to government’s commitment to fix sector’s problems, and the private sector’s adoption of new technology.
    • Forecasts indicate the logistics industry to grow well above forecasts for growth of the South African economy.
    • There is evidence of resilience driven by increased demand for goods and services and advancements in technology.

    Read More..
    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa
    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2023

    Full Report

    R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $369.28 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Historical Reports

    Transport and Logistics Trends in South Africa 2025-07-31

    R 20 000.00(ZAR) estimated $1136.24 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. LOGISTICS SECTOR OVERVIEW 2
    2.1. Market Description and Role Players 2
    2.2. Logistics Environment 3
    2.3. Logistics Infrastructure 5
    3. SIZE OF THE SECTOR 7
    3.1. Transport GDP growth 7
    3.2. Growth Prospects 9
    4. RAIL TO ROAD SHIFT 9
    5. LOGISTICS SECTOR PERFORMANCE 14
    6. PORT ACTIVITY 18
    7. INDUSTRY TRENDS 20
    8. GLOBAL LOGISTICS COMPETITIVENESS 24
    8.1. World Bank Logistics Performance Index 24
    8.2. Ports’ Competitive Position 26
    9. TRANSPORT SECTOR CHALLENGES 28
    9.1. Economic Loss due to Rail Inefficiencies 28
    9.2. Effects of Poor Road Conditions on Logistics 31
    9.3. Transport Vehicle Attacks 32
    9.4. Cable Theft on the Rail Network 33
    10. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS 36
    11. OUTLOOK 37
    12. REFERENCES 38
    12.1. Publications 38
    12.2. Websites 39

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