Your monthly roundup of what’s shaping fulfillment, eCommerce, and logistics across South Africa. As the year closes, supply chains are shifting fast through infrastructure upgrades, consumer spending patterns, and new tech in warehousing and delivery.
- Cape Town Port Introduces Night-Time Processing to Ease Congestion
The Port of Cape Town has rolled out extended night-time container processing windows to reduce vessel delays. Early results show a 12 to 15 percent improvement in cargo flow, especially for perishables and retail imports ahead of the festive season. The initiative includes improved lighting, digital container tracking, and a pilot for automated gate systems to cut truck queues and reduce last-mile delays for Western Cape merchants. - South African Online Spending Surges Ahead of Peak Season
BankServAfrica data shows a 21 percent rise in online transactions in November, driven by early Black Friday events and retailer-led pre-festive campaigns. Buy Now Pay Later usage grew 29 percent, with electronics and lifestyle categories leading. Shoppers under 35 contributed the highest order volumes, with mobile-first checkouts dominating. Cart sizes also increased as customers bundled purchases to save on delivery fees. - Private Freight Rail Operators Expand Capacity
Two private freight rail operators have launched additional Johannesburg to Durban and Johannesburg to Gqeberha routes after new regulatory approvals. This shift has diverted freight from congested highways, reduced trucking delays, and improved lead time predictability. Retailers handling high-volume SKUs are already shifting bulk replenishment to rail to stabilize inventory ahead of peak-season spikes. - Demand for Micro Fulfillment Centres Rises in Metros
Gauteng, Durban North, and Cape Town CBD recorded sharp demand for micro fulfillment centres as brands push for 24 to 48 hour delivery promises. These centres reduce last-mile distances, enable hyperlocal stock pooling, support rapid return processing, and improve delivery reliability during congestion-heavy festive periods. Several 3PLs are now offering pay-per-use micro fulfillment models that help SMEs scale without long-term storage commitments. - Courier Industry Adds New Delivery Windows for Peak Load
Major couriers have added Sunday and late-evening delivery slots supported by AI-based sortation planning. This includes faster reattempt cycles for NDRs, automated customer callouts before redelivery, and capacity boosts for Cape Town and Pretoria metros. This helps online sellers reduce RTO risk and meet tighter delivery promises during the busiest month of the year.
Shiprazor Insight of the Month
November shows one clear insight. Speed and predictability are becoming essential for online shoppers. Inventory distribution is shifting as micro fulfillment and rail capacity expand, encouraging brands to balance centralized and distributed stock. Payment behavior is evolving as BNPL, instant EFT, and streamlined mobile checkout emerge as strong conversion drivers. Delivery readiness is improving as couriers offer extended delivery hours, which requires sellers to adjust cut off times and update SLAs. Going into 2026, the brands that win will be the ones that integrate procurement, warehousing, and last mile operations into a single automated and insight driven workflow.
