South Africa enters 2026 at a defining juncture for its logistics and supply chain economy. After years of constrained growth and systemic underperformance across rail, ports and trade infrastructure, 2025 marked a year of tangible progress. The challenge now, states the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), is to convert policy and institutional momentum into measurable gains in efficiency, reliability and competitiveness through disciplined execution and integrated private sector participation.

“The task ahead is clear,” says Dr Juanita Maree, Chief Executive Officer of SAAFF. “Momentum must now accelerate into measurable reform, executed with discipline, to deliver real and sustainable economic growth.”

While politically crafted trade tariffs and global instability continue to disrupt supply chains internationally, South Africa has begun writing a new chapter. Structured private sector participation (PSP) in rail and ports is no longer theoretical. Instead, it is emerging as a practical mechanism to entrench shared responsibility between the public and private sectors, recognising that infrastructure recovery impacts the entire supply chain and, by extension, national economic performance.

“As a leading trade hub and gateway to Africa, South Africa’s logistics performance is not just a domestic concern,” says Dr Maree. “Even the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will ultimately depend on efficient, reliable logistics infrastructure.”

OECD benchmark reinforces reform direction
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in its Africa’s Development Dynamics 2025 report, is unequivocal. Infrastructure is the engine of economic transformation.

With the right policies and targeted investment, the continent could boost growth by up to 4.5 percentage points per year and double GDP by 2040, provided investment is governance-driven and supported by strong public-private collaboration.

“This outlook is directly applicable to South Africa and the Southern African region,” Dr Maree notes. “It reinforces the direction we are already travelling and the standards we must now embed.”

The OECD identifies four core conditions for success:

• Prioritising high-return infrastructure projects.
• Fostering credible public-private partnerships.
• Strengthening data collection and data-driven decision-making.
• Proactively managing social and ecological risks through transparency and accountability.

“These principles resonate deeply in a constitutional democracy,” says Dr Maree. “Institutional credibility, evidence-based policy and public trust are non-negotiable foundations for growth.”

Evidence of progress in 2025
SAAFF believes the logistics sector can point to real and credible progress during 2025. Central to this has been a maturing, evidence-based dialogue between government and industry, which Dr Maree describes as “the single biggest factor shaping South Africa’s steady economic turnaround”.

That progress is underpinned by data. The SAAFF|BUSA Cargo Movement Report, published weekly, provides empirical, science-based analysis of logistics performance, enabling informed short, medium and long-term decision-making.

“Logistics is not a technical footnote in economic policy,” says Dr Maree. “It is the bloodstream of trade, industrialisation and inclusive growth. Without efficient freight movement, no foreign investment drive, industrial strategy or export ambition can succeed.”

According to SAAFF, the milestones achieved during 2025 are significant and include:

• Year Two and final year of the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC).
• The transformation of Transnet.
• Introduction of Private Sector Participation programmes by the Department of Transport.
• Opening of Requests for Information processes.
• Publication of the National Freight Logistics Roadmap, including the Road to Rail strategy.
• Establishment of the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM).
• Deferment of the Merchant Shipping Bill for review.
• The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (dtic) export focus, resulting in:
• Increased AfCFTA trade.
• Exports exceeding 1.3 billion to date in the current financial year through the EMIA scheme.
• Operation Vulindlela progress, including:
• Introduction of the Economic Regulator of Transport Act.
• First-ever PSP for container terminals and establishment of a dedicated PSP unit.
• Development of a draft network statement for the freight rail network.

“These developments were driven by unprecedented cross-sector consultation,” Dr Maree says. “They represent the most credible foundation for reform we have seen in over a decade.”

From policy intent to implementation discipline
For the freight forwarding and logistics industry, 2025 reaffirmed its central role in enabling economic resilience and global competitiveness. But the message from industry is unequivocal: 2025 was the beginning, not the destination.

“In 2026 we must shift decisively from policy intent to implementation discipline,” says Dr Maree. “Momentum must translate into productive operational transformation within a transparent, accountable and well-governed environment.”

She emphasises that sustainability in logistics is multi-layered, dependent on political resolve, strong leadership, applied skills development and governance that is as robust as the capital investment being mobilised through PSP models.

Priority reform areas requiring urgent and coordinated execution include:

• Introduction of the Independent Economic Regulator for Transport and Logistics.
• Digitisation and integration across other government agencies.
• Embedding inter- and intra-port competition.
• Introduction of the Container User Forum.
• Accelerating rail reform to advance road to rail migration.
• Growth of intermodal integration and capacity development.
• Development of freight villages.
• Africa trade alignment across SADC and AfCFTA.

“The OECD benchmark should serve as a point of reference,” Dr Maree says. “As South Africa strives to become Africa’s most prosperous and mature economy, delivery-led reform is the differentiator.”

A decisive year for delivery
“The task before us in 2026 is not simply technical alignment,” Dr Maree states. “It is a conscious commitment to embed the world’s most stringent standards into daily practice.”

She believes infrastructure-led growth is central to positioning South Africa as the African destination of choice for global capital and confidence.

“At SAAFF, excellence is not aspirational. It is our defining leadership value. The effective functioning of reform platforms such as the Container User Forum, accelerated rail reform and deliberate intermodal integration will determine whether alignment converts into delivery.

“In parallel, seamless connectivity through digitisation and system integration of other government agencies such as the BMA is key to the outcomes, to secure increased capacity and seamless connectivity between ports, borders, rail and road.

“If achieved, logistics reform will act as a catalyst for inclusive growth, regional integration and long-term competitiveness. Failure would risk squandering the most promising reform window the sector has seen in years,” Dr Maree concludes.

Editor’s comment: The logistics sector has spent years calling for reform. What distinguishes the current moment is that policy, data, governance and private sector capability are finally converging. The real test for 2026 will be whether South Africa can move beyond alignment and consultation into disciplined execution.

Clearly, Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) are no longer optional – it is the lever that will determine whether logistics reform delivers measurable efficiency gains or becomes another missed opportunity. This makes transparency non-negotiable.

Government must ensure that PSP contracting processes are open, competitive and clearly communicated, with governance frameworks that build trust across stakeholders. Without full visibility of how partners are selected, risks allocated and performance measured, confidence in reform will erode.

Finally, for the trucking industry, the implications of sustained reform in logistics infrastructure are profound. Successful rail and port reform will not sideline road freight but reshape its role. More reliable rail corridors and efficient ports should reduce congestion, improve turnaround times and allow trucking to operate where it adds the most value – in first- and last-mile distribution, regional connectivity and time-sensitive freight.

If executed well, PSP-led reform can lower operating costs, stabilise demand and create a more predictable operating environment for fleet operators.

If South Africa gets the balance right – attracting world-class international partners while creating real opportunity for local players – PSP can become the engine that converts reform intent into inclusive, delivery-led growth.

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