South Africa’s freight sector is at a crossroads. Rail reform is gradually opening up the network to private operators, citrus and other fresh-produce exports are expanding, and compliance demands are getting tighter. At the same time, port congestion, schedule variability and security risks remain part of everyday planning. In this environment, your choice of freight forwarder in South Africa is no longer a back-office decision; it’s a strategic lever that protects margins, reputation and shelf life.
CH Logistics (CHL) is a South African freight forwarder built around perishables and high-value cargo. We combine reefer expertise, real-time transparency, and hands-on local problem solving in Cape Town with international standards that international buyers expect.
CH Logistics: South African freight forwarder specializing in sea freight to Europe, middle and far east including China.
Core strengths: reefer logistics, citrus, grapes & fresh fruit, cold chain integrity, customs & compliance (incl. PPECB flows), and full milestone visibility.
Gateways: Cape Town
CH Logistics is a specialized South African freight forwarder for perishables and consumer & industrial high-value goods. We’re not a generalist. We focus on lanes and commodities where timing, temperature and transparency determine the commercial outcome. Our teams operate close to packhouses, terminals and inspection points so that decisions happen as issues arise – not after the fact.
Our approach blends three elements:
Our primary corridor is South Africa → Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Spain, Italy). We also manage export lanes to middle East and Asia. That clarity lets us invest in the processes that overseas retailers and receivers value most. freshness upon arrival, clean documentation and predictable lead times.
Fruit portfolio (reefer focus):
Grapes (seedless & seeded); stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries); pome fruit (apples, pears, quinces); citrus (oranges, mandarins, clementines, lemons, limes, grapefruit); tropical (bananas, pineapples, mangos, papayas, avocados, pomegranates); berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants); exotics (dragon fruit, passion fruit, cactus pear, starfruit, lychee).
Vegetables & specialities: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, courgettes, lettuces, herbs, okra, ginger, turmeric, pak choi, artichokes, asparagus, and baby vegetables.
Beyond produce, we also handle consumer and industrial high-value goods where security, visibility and handling protocols matter (e.g., electronics, precision components, selected temperature-sensitive pharma under agreed SOPs).
Every commodity above has different respiration, ethylene and temperature profiles. Our load plans and monitoring regimes reflect those realities – from set-point selection and vent settings to humidity and air exchange, plus mixed-load compatibility where appropriate.
For long-haul exports, ocean freight is the backbone. We secure capacity of FCL reefer containers, use SRVs (specialised reefer vessels) when peak programmes justify it, and synchronise packhouse windows with terminal cut-offs so fruit spends less time idle.
Core building blocks:
Where sea schedules can’t meet a market window, we switch to air freight for selected berries, premium grapes, early season fruit or urgent samples, always with temperature stability where required.
We design multimodal solutions that combine road, rail and feeder options to de-risk bottlenecks, and we maintain alternative routings to preserve shelf life when terminals are constrained or strong impact require alternative loading ports.
Sustainability: We prioritize route and equipment choices that reduce waste and emissions, and we support customers’ ESG reporting with shipment-level data (e.g., avoided spoilage, optimized consolidation).
Most forwarders can book a container. Few can preserve fruit quality from farm to shelf under South African conditions. That is our difference. We run export Programms where a one-degree variance or a missed plug-in can erase margins. With CHL you get:
If you’re searching for freight forwarders in South Africa that understand reefer reality, European receivers and South African constraints, talk to CH Logistics in Cape Town or Durban. We move sensitive cargo safely, transparently and on time.
Efficient Logistics for South African Fruit Export 2025
South Africa’s freight sector is transforming. Port performance, cold chain innovation and compliance requirements are reshaping how exporters and importers plan their supply chains. To help you navigate these shifts, we’ve compiled a dedicated whitepaper.
Inside you’ll find:
Use it to benchmark your own logistics strategy and to see why CH Logistics is the trusted partner for complex, temperature-sensitive exports.
We specialise in exports from South Africa. Our core portfolio is fresh produce to Europe, with export-only programmes to Middle East and Asia. For inbound high-value goods from other origins, we evaluate case by case, ensuring security and compliance standards are met.
South Africa’s key export gateways for perishables are Durban, Cape Town, and the Eastern Cape ports – each serving a distinct function in the cold chain.
Durban is the largest and busiest port facility in South Africa, handling the majority of the country’s container traffic. Its extensive infrastructure, high container throughput, and diverse sailing schedules make it a crucial hub for perishable exports – particularly for mixed commodities and shipments bound for the Middle East, Asia, and other non-EU destinations.
Cape Town remains the cornerstone for Western Cape fruit exports, with its proximity to major production regions allowing for shorter inland legs, close coordination with packhouses, and streamlined PPECB inspections. Its strong cold chain facilities and established export systems make it the preferred gateway for fruit destined for the EU and UK markets.
In the Eastern Cape, CH Logistics ships from two ports – Port Elizabeth and Ngqura (also known as Coega). These gateways play a critical role during peak export periods by helping to balance cargo flows, minimize dwell times, and mitigate congestion risks at the larger ports.
By strategically leveraging all three regions, CH Logistics ensures reliability, flexibility, and cold chain integrity across every export season and market.
We start at the packhouse with pre-cool verification, translate commodity physiology into correct set-points and vent settings, and validate plug-in status at every hand-off. Containers are monitored via telemetry; our team watches return/supply air and power events. If readings drift, we escalate: re-stow, swap, or re-plug. On arrival, we sequence inspection and release to limit time at ambient temperatures.
For most commodities (citrus, grapes, pome fruit), sea freight offers the best balance of cost per carton and quality preservation – if the cold chain is tight. Air freight is valuable for very short shelf-life products or urgent market windows, but the economics favour ocean for weekly programms and retailer contracts. We use SRVs in peak seasons where service reliability and capacity justify it.
Yes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and currants. These are ethylene-sensitive and humidity-sensitive; we select equipment, packaging and air-exchange carefully, and we’ll recommend air vs sea based on berry type, cultivar, transit time and the buyer’s shelf-life tolerance.
Citrus (oranges, lemons, mandarins/clementines, limes, grapefruit) and table grapes dominate volumes, followed by pome fruit (apples, pears) and stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries). We also manage avocados, mangos, pineapples and pomegranates, plus exotics for niche buyers.
A complete export documentation pack typically includes the Commercial Invoice, Packing List, SAD 500, EDI Release, and Cargo Dues. These core documents are supported by Bills of Lading (SWB / OBL / Telex Release), which confirm shipment ownership and facilitate release at the port of destination.
For perishable exports, the main documents required to clear containers at the final destination include the PPECB Certificate, PPECB Addendum, Phytosanitary Certificate (TUR/TUM where applicable), andBills of Lading.
The PPECB Certificate and its Addendum confirm that all inspections were completed to ensure the fruit meets the import requirements of the destination country. They detail key shipment information such as the vessel name, container numbers, country of destination, exporter details, net weight, and a per-pallet breakdown of the consignment. These documents serve as the supporting foundation for the Phytosanitary Certificate application and submission.
Additional supporting documents may include the Pre-Cooling Certificate and Fumigation Certificate, which are often required for specific markets as part of both phytosanitary submissions and import clearance.
For certain trade agreements or destinations, further documents such as the EUR.1 Certificate, APE, or Certificate of Origin (COO) may be required to qualify for preferential duty treatment or meet country-specific import regulations.
At CH Logistics, we manage and verify the full documentation workflow – ensuring every certificate, declaration, and clearance form is accurately prepared and submitted – so that compliance and customs processes never delay your cargo.
Depending on service and transhipments, ±18–25 days door-to-port is a useful guide. Seasonal congestion can add days at stack or on berth. We combine historical data, live schedule tracking and proactive bookings to give realistic ETAs and to protect shelf life.
We design routes with geofencing, no-stop corridors, vetted parking, escorted convoys where warranted, and rapid escalation protocols if deviations occur. Visibility is shared with shippers and receivers, not kept behind a wall.
Sometimes, but not always. We evaluate temperature compatibility, ethylene production/sensitivity and odour transfer. Mixed loads are possible (e.g., certain citrus combinations), but many pairings are avoided to protect quality. We’ll advise per SKU.
Yes. For urgent orders or sensitive berries, we use active or passive solutions under defined SOPs, with tarmac handling and priority build where available.
Costs vary with commodity, season, service type (FCL/LCL/SRV/air), equipment, security, documentation and last-mile requirements. Our model emphasises transparency: we show the cost drivers and help you select the lowest-risk, best-value option for the commercial goal.
We reduce waste (spoilage avoided through tighter control), choose optimal routings and equipment, and provide data for ESG reporting. Better cold-chain control typically means fewer claims and lower embedded emissions per delivered carton. We are implementing international ESG guidelines into all sectors of our activities. Have a look to our ESG Report.
No. We export South African products to Europe and selected Asian markets (including China). We don’t run import programmes from China into South Africa.
Yes. We align to buyer SOPs, integrate with quality inspections, and provide event-level data and reports that satisfy retailer audits and claim processes.
