South Africa Cold Chain Logistics Market Overview, 2029

South Africa consists of more than 35 facilities, comprising over 50,084,636 cubic feet of refrigerated space. The Global Cold Chain Alliance operates across all of Africa to improve the cold chain and preserve the quality and integrity of products travelling from more populated cities to more remote locations. The country has experienced a sharp rise in the need for efficient cold chain logistics in recent years. This rise in interest is partly due to the continent's expanding economy as well as the growing necessity to safeguard the safety and quality of temperature-sensitive goods. The cold chain sector is expected to grow as a result of the continent's growing need for temperature-controlled goods, the influx of numerous new companies, and government initiatives and programmes. In order to manage the development of a multimodal transport system and meet the nations long-term transport needs, the South African government has initiated the National Transport Master Plan 2050. After COVID-19, people's concerns about their health led to a shift in consumption patterns and a rise in household processed food consumption, which aided in the market's expansion. Major cities like Gauteng, Cape Town, and Durban are becoming centres for the cold chain business since most industrial regions are close by. The pandemic exposed the continent's precarious reliance on imports for pharmaceuticals. But since then, well-known producers of pharmaceuticals, such as Moderna and BioNtech, have made investments in the construction of facilities in Africa. This rising tendency towards producing pharmaceutical goods within Africa corresponds likewise with the African Union and African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s ambition to generate 60% of the country's vaccine needs domestically by 2040. The abrupt increase in local manufacturing will force cold chains to become more global. The safest approach to satisfying these demands is to increase Tower Containers' availability and closeness, which is its business strategy. It continues to prioritise hub network investments.

According to the research report "South Africa Cold Chain Logistics Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the South Africa Cold Chain Logistics market is expected to reach a market size of more than USD 3 billion by 2029. South Africa is a major exporter of agricultural products, including fruits, vegetables, and meat. The cold chain logistics sector is crucial in ensuring the preservation and quality of these perishable goods during transportation, contributing significantly to the demand for efficient and reliable cold chain services. The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on cold chain logistics to transport temperature-sensitive medications and vaccines. With a growing healthcare sector in South Africa and an increased emphasis on public health initiatives, the demand for cold chain logistics services for pharmaceutical distribution has risen substantially. South Africa is actively involved in international trade, both as an exporter and an importer of goods. The need to maintain the quality and safety of perishable products during long-distance transportation has fueled the demand for cold chain logistics services. The climate conditions in South Africa, which can range from hot and arid to temperate and coastal, necessitate the use of cold chain logistics to prevent spoilage of temperature-sensitive goods. The industry helps mitigate the impact of climate variations on the quality of transported products.

Based on the types, they are segmented into Refrigerated Warehouse and Refrigerated Transport. Among them, in South Africa, refrigerator transportation is significantly contributing to the market. Investments in cold chain infrastructure, including refrigerated trucks and storage facilities, contribute to the expansion of refrigerated transportation services in the country. Companies are recognising the need to modernise and enhance their fleets to meet the growing demand for temperature-controlled logistics. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry relies on refrigerated transportation to distribute temperature-sensitive medications and vaccines. With a focus on healthcare advancements and the need for reliable transportation of pharmaceutical products, refrigerated logistics have become integral to the healthcare supply chain. In terms of temperature types, they are segmented into frozen and chilled. In South Africa, frozen is the leading market. South Africa participates actively in international trade, exporting and importing frozen goods. The frozen temperature segment within cold chain logistics becomes crucial for the export of frozen products such as seafood, meat, and processed foods to various global markets. Furthermore, the diverse population in South Africa with varying food preferences contributes to the demand for a wide range of frozen food options. Frozen temperature logistics enable the efficient distribution of a diverse array of frozen products catering to different culinary preferences.

According to the report, the technology is bifurcated into dry ice, gel packs, eutectic plates, liquid nitrogen, and quilts. Among them, gel packs are a growing market. Gel packs play a crucial role in maintaining the required temperature conditions for the transportation of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. South Africa's healthcare sector relies on cold chain logistics to ensure the integrity and efficacy of temperature-sensitive medications and vaccines. Gel packs are crucial in emergency and disaster relief efforts where the transportation of temperature-sensitive medical supplies, vaccines, and food items is necessary. South Africa's cold chain logistics, supported by gel packs, aid in responding effectively to various emergencies. Based on the application segmented into dairy and frozen desserts, pharmaceuticals, processed food, meat, fish and seafood, bakery and confectionery, fruits and vegetables, and others, in South Africa Bakery and confectionery significantly contribute to the market; the South African bakery and confectionery industry actively participates in international trade, exporting a variety of products. To meet international standards and regulations, maintaining the cold chain during transportation becomes essential. Cold chain logistics facilitate the export of high-quality bakery and confectionery items to global markets. Cold chain logistics contribute to the overall efficiency and reliability of the bakery and confectionery supply chain. From production facilities to distribution centres and retail outlets, maintaining a controlled temperature ensures that products are handled and delivered under optimal conditions.

Considered in this report:
• Geography: South Africa
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report:
• South Africa Cold Chain Logistics market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation



By Types
• Refrigerated Warehouse
• Refrigerates Transportation

By Temperature Types
• Frozen
• Chilled

By Technology Types
• Dry Ice
• Gel Packs
• Eutectic Plates
• Liquid Nitrogen
• Quilts

By Application
• Dairy and frozen desserts
• Pharmaceuticals
• Process food
• Meat, Fish & Seafood
• Bakery and confectionery
• Fruits and vegetables
• Others

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, and annual reports of companies, analyzing the government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers into regional aspects, tier aspects, age groups, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience:
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the Cold Chain Logistics industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.