South Africa’s transport system has seen marked improvement in parts of the rail and port network, but the broader logistics landscape remains under pressure. Despite infrastructure upgrades and better coordination, supply chains continue to face challenges, including security threats, port congestion, and deteriorating roads.
According to Jacques De Villiers, executive: manufacturing, operations and supply chain at Omnia, logistics across the country “has become a test of resilience and innovation.”
“There’s better coordination in certain areas, notably around Richards Bay and some rail corridors, but the system remains under considerable strain. The challenge is to build flexibility and resilience into logistics networks so that when disruptions happen – and they still do – operations can continue,” he says.
Transport remains a critical economic enabler — and for industries like mining and agriculture, reliability often determines whether production runs smoothly or grinds to a halt.
Rail and port efficiency improving, but roads lag
Freight rail remains central to South Africa’s bulk commodity movement. About 50% of Omnia’s main raw material, ammonia, moves by rail. Persistent issues like cable theft and locomotive shortages continue to weigh on performance, but collaboration has brought some progress.
Through the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), Omnia has worked with Transnet and Sasol to improve train flow between Sasolburg, Secunda and Richards Bay.
“Previously, operators worked in silos. Now there’s better coordination, which means trains move more efficiently. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress,” says De Villiers.
Container handling at Durban has improved, though congestion still results in long waiting times — sometimes up to 10 weeks. Richards Bay, however, has become a more stable and efficient node.
On the roads, conditions continue to worsen. "Because of rail constraints, more volume is pushed onto road — but the infrastructure was never designed to carry this load," De Villiers notes. "This results in heavy wear and tear, which further compounds safety concerns and slows turnaround times."
Building resilience through diversification
Omnia and other operators are focusing on diversification to strengthen resilience. Over the past decade, Omnia expanded its fleet of rail tankers from 160 to 205, added road tankers, and upgraded facilities at Richards Bay and Sasolburg to improve turnaround times.
"We’ve learned that building redundancy into the system is crucial," says De Villiers. "If one route or mode goes down, another must be ready."
This flexibility allowed Omnia to maintain deliveries during major rail disruptions in 2022/23, when many operators declared force majeure. "It’s about having options," he adds.
Technology and collaboration reshape logistics
A major transformation is the rollout of real-time logistics visibility. Omnia is implementing a logistics control tower to monitor its road and rail movements — more than 600 trucks per day at peak periods. The system enables faster decision-making, dynamic rerouting, and improved communication.
"Most importantly, the tower contributes to improved safety by providing better oversight of vehicle movements and enabling quicker responses to potential risks," De Villiers explains.
Omnia also participates in industry-wide collaboration, sharing data and safety insights to navigate challenges like protest-related disruptions.
“We’re part of a much larger ecosystem," says De Villiers. "The future of logistics in South Africa depends on how well industry and the public sector work together."
The company’s next step is to expand the logistics control tower across all modes of transport and partners.
“We’ve seen what coordinated visibility can do. The next step is to scale it,” says De Villiers.
Cooperation and innovation key to progress
While South Africa’s transport network still faces deep structural pressures, industry cooperation, digital visibility and infrastructure diversification are creating a more adaptable system.
“There’s still a long way to go,” De Villiers concludes. “But the trajectory is moving in the right direction.”
