South Africa’s freight problems carry a substantial economic cost. In early 2025, port delays, rail disruptions and infrastructure bottlenecks were reported to cost the country an estimated R1 billion a day in missed trade opportunities.
There have since been signs of progress. The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) highlighted improvements at Durban and Ngqura, although both remained near the bottom of global port performance rankings. For retailers handling imported goods, uncertainty around when stock will become available can still complicate plans for getting it on to store shelves.
The domestic distribution operation must accommodate those changes while meeting the retail delivery window. That requires the journey from the distribution centre to the receiving depot to work in step with the final delivery to the store.
In City Logistics’ retail operation, vehicles are based at customers’ distribution centres (DCs), where they load before making the first-mile journey to a receiving depot. At the depot, goods are offloaded and transferred into smaller vehicles for the last mile to stores.
The depot connects these two stages. Its team needs to know when incoming vehicles will arrive and how much stock they are carrying so that it can prepare the outgoing store deliveries. Goods from one incoming load may be destined for several routes, which means a change to its arrival time can affect more than one delivery vehicle.
A later arrival leaves less time to offload, sort and reload before those vehicles need to leave. Higher volumes can also require additional capacity, even when the incoming journey runs to schedule. Planning therefore depends on both the timing and the size of the loads moving through the network.
Advance notice gives the operation more room to accommodate those changes. We have to plan around when the stock needs to reach the store. A vehicle arriving at the depot on time is only part of that job; there must also be enough time to prepare the goods for their onward journey.
When volumes or timings change, the retailer, transport team and depot need to be working from the same information. That includes keeping everyone informed when something changes on our side. The earlier we know, the more options we have, whether that means allocating another vehicle or adjusting the dispatch plan.
An updated departure time from the DC allows the receiving depot to review its plans before the stock arrives. Depending on the circumstances, the team can adjust offloading priorities, allocate vehicles or revise dispatch times to help protect the store delivery window. The transport team must keep that information current as the journey progresses, including when traffic, weather or a vehicle problem affects the expected arrival.
Seasonal peaks and major retail promotions make this coordination particularly important. Advance forecasts help the logistics provider plan vehicles and drivers across both stages of the operation. Updates to those forecasts allow the DC, transport and depot teams to prepare for changes in demand together.
The logistics provider also remains responsible for vehicle readiness, realistic route planning and reliable execution. Reviewing departure, arrival and depot processing times alongside store delivery results helps identify where schedules or capacity need adjusting.
A store’s delivery time is the outcome of all this work. Planning the first mile, depot activity and last mile together gives retailers and logistics providers a better chance of absorbing changes along the way and getting stock to stores when it is needed.
Ryan Gaines, CEO of City Logistics,
