Freight Forwarding & Supply Chain Logistics News & Insights

Global supply chains entered August with cautious optimism, but quickly shifted back into volatility. Red Sea security risks, severe weather across Asia, rising freight rates and growing port congestion once again placed pressure on already stretched trade routes. For South African businesses, the disruption was felt both globally and at home. Durban Gateway Terminal’s transition to the NAVIS N4 operating system triggered severe operational constraints, while successive typho

Global supply chains continue to adjust to a rapidly evolving trade environment, with new tariff measures, shifting shipping routes and improving regional logistics performance reshaping the outlook for South African importers and exporters. The confirmation of a 12.5% US tariff on most South African exports marks one of the month's most significant developments, while ocean carriers are cautiously expanding limited transits through the Suez Canal after many months of rerouti

July opens with South African importers and exporters facing disruption on multiple fronts. International attention has turned to Washington, where the US Trade Representative will hold public hearings on a proposed additional tariff on South African goods, while the existing 10% reciprocal tariff remains under review. Locally, heightened caution ahead of the nationwide protest action led many businesses to close and transporters to temporarily withdraw trucks from the road,

June enters the market with global supply chains operating in a far more fragile and expensive environment than many anticipated earlier this year. While freight rates have stabilised from extreme volatility, the real challenge facing importers and exporters is no longer securing capacity, but managing operational reliability and rising end-to-end logistics costs. Ongoing geopolitical disruptions, constrained airfreight capacity and rising inland logistics costs continue to p

The month of May reflects a shift from disruption to a more complex and controlled global logistics environment. While supply chains are gradually stabilising, volatility remains due to continued vessel rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and rising fuel costs. Network reliability is improving, but schedule disruption, capacity imbalances, and cost pressures continue to impact trade flows. For South African importers and exporters, this means a

This month opens in the shadow of one of the most significant global logistics disruptions in recent years. What began in March as a geopolitical shock has now evolved into a broader structural shift - reshaping shipping routes, extending transit times, increasing costs, and redistributing congestion across major ports worldwide. The ongoing instability around critical Middle Eastern shipping corridors has forced carriers to rethink long-standing routes, with the Cape of Good

As we move into March, global freight markets continue to adjust to shifting demand patterns, tighter capacity management, and ongoing routing volatility. February delivered gradual improvements across selected trade lanes, particularly where carrier discipline has supported more balanced supply and demand conditions. At the same time, familiar pressure points remain clearly visible. Transit reliability continues to fluctuate across major corridors, inland execution remains i