What Cargo Compass does

Cargo Compass SA is a privately owned, 100% South African freight forwarding and logistics company headquartered in Johannesburg, operating across five branches (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and East London) with a headcount in the 251–500 range. The company offers an integrated logistics stack covering international air freight, sea freight (FCL and LCL), customs brokerage at all South African ports, imports and exports, bonded warehousing, intercity road transport via its owned Superlink service, and marine insurance. Its core operational technology stack includes SARS EDI integration for pre-arrival customs clearance, biometric facial and license plate recognition for site security, an autonomous robotic cleaning unit, and a 600kW rooftop photovoltaic array at the Johannesburg headquarters. Bonded warehouse capacity totals 27,500 sqm across the branch network, with the flagship 30,000 sqm Johannesburg facility opened in September 2022 featuring 3,500 pallet positions and cold storage capability.

Cargo Compass earns revenue on a transaction-fee basis across each logistics service line, with pricing bespoke to each client, shipment, and route. The go-to-market is sales-led through direct branch relationships supplemented by a curated global network of independently owned clearing and forwarding agents affiliated with major international freight forwarding networks — a deliberate positioning away from multinational agent chains. The company is SARS-accredited and holds Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status for international movement of goods, alongside a Level 2 B-BBEE rating that materially improves eligibility for South African government and large-corporate contracts. It self-positions within the top 10 largest privately owned freight forwarders in South Africa, handling several thousand containers annually through long-standing rate agreements with all major shipping lines and reputable airlines.

The customer base spans B2B import and export firms and manufacturing or industrial clients requiring customs compliance, bonded storage, distribution, and insurance coverage — a horizontal segmentation that reduces reliance on any single vertical but also limits specialisation. Globally, reach is achieved through agent network membership rather than owned overseas infrastructure, and South Africa remains the dominant operating geography. No public funding rounds, institutional investors, or revenue disclosures were identified in source materials, consistent with its private, owner-managed status.

Name

Cargo Compass

Legal name

Cargo Compass SA

Website

https://cargocompasssa.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cargo Compass SA is a privately owned South African freight forwarder and logistics provider offering integrated air freight, sea freight (FCL/LCL), customs brokerage, bonded warehousing, intercity transport, and marine insurance across five branches, serving import/export and manufacturing clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Air Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAE), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Customs brokerage services
• Bonded warehousing services
• International logistics solutions
• Supply chain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Air Freight Services: International air freight forwarding services with well established relationships and strong buying power with all reputable airlines servicing South Africa. Experienced logistics staff handle complexities of international freight forwarding ensuring cost effective, secure and efficient routing.
2. Sea Freight Services: FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less Container Load) shipments. Company has accumulative volumes totalling several thousand containers per annum. Long standing relationships with all major shipping lines with directors traveling abroad annually to negotiate freight rates.
3. Customs Brokerage: SARS accredited clearing agents, fully customs licensed at all ports of entry. Services include tariff determinations, customs refunds, permit applications and tariff consulting.
4. Warehousing and Storage: Own and operate various free and bonded warehouses across 5 branches. Durban 13,500m2, Johannesburg 9,500m2, Port Elizabeth 3,000m2, Cape Town 1,500m2. Facilities for packing/unpacking full containers, warehousing and distribution.
5. Transport and Distribution: Door-to-door service including collections and deliveries within South Africa carried out by own vehicles. Intercity Superlink transport between Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town with weekly schedules.
6. Marine Insurance: In-depth market knowledge along with backing of South Africa's leading insurance underwriters and Lloyds of London. Access to world class solutions including Liabilities, Goods in Transit and Cargo Insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cargo Compass SA provides international freight forwarding and integrated logistics services, including air freight, sea freight (FCL and LCL), importing, exporting, customs brokerage, transport, warehousing, storage, and distribution. The company operates five branches across South Africa with its own fleet of vehicles and bonded warehouses, and uses a global network of independently owned clearing and forwarding agents to deliver door-to-door service.

Product overview

Cargo Compass SA is a logistics and freight forwarding company offering a unified suite of services centered on air freight, sea freight (FCL and LCL), customs clearance, imports, exports, bonded warehousing, intercity transport, and marine insurance. The core offering is integrated logistics management covering the entire supply chain from international freight forwarding through customs brokerage to domestic warehousing and distribution. All services are managed in-house through their 5 South African branches with company-owned vehicles and warehouses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Freight International air freight forwarding service offering cost-effective, secure and efficient route options for cargo departures, backed by established relationships with all reputable airlines servicing South Africa.
• Sea Freight Sea freight forwarding service offering Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Container Load (LCL) consolidation with weekly groupage containers from origins around the globe, supported by long-standing relationships with all major shipping lines.
• Customs Clearance SARS accredited customs brokerage and clearing service at all ports of entry, using the SARS EDI system for pre-clearance prior to shipment arrival, including tariff determinations, customs refunds, permit applications and tariff consulting.
• Imports International freight forwarding service for importing cargo into South Africa, leveraging a global network of independently owned clearing and forwarding agents with overseas offices enabling container consolidation.
• Exports Export forwarding service handling container, break-bulk and perishables cargo via road, sea and air freight, providing door-to-door capability from South Africa to destinations globally.
• Bonded Warehousing Free and bonded warehouse facilities across five branches (Durban 13,500m2, Johannesburg 9,500m2, Port Elizabeth 3,000m2, Cape Town 1,500m2) with infrastructure for packing/unpacking containers and distribution using company-owned vehicles.
• Intercity Superlink Transport

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Major Shipping LinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong standing relationships with all major shipping lines. Directors travel abroad annually to meet with shipping line executive management teams to negotiate freight rates. Volume-based arrangements providing competitive rates, high frequency sailings per port pair, schedule flexibility, and guaranteed equipment availability.
• Reputable AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWell established relationships and strong buying power with all reputable airlines servicing South Africa. Airlines selected based on cost, transit time and reliability to ensure appropriate supply chain solutions.
• International Freight Forwarding NetworksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated with many of the largest international freight forwarding networks. The accumulative volume controlled ensures competitive freight rates are negotiated. Strategic approach of only dealing with independently owned agents sets the company apart.
• South Africa's Leading Insurance Underwriters and Lloyds of LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine insurance partnerships providing in-depth market knowledge backed by South Africa's leading insurance underwriters and Lloyds of London. Access to comprehensive marine insurance products including Liabilities, Goods in Transit and Cargo Insurance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Imperial Logistics: Imperial Logistics is a major South African freight, warehousing, and distribution operator with owned fleet and bonded warehouse footprint, closely mirroring Cargo Compass's vertically integrated asset model in the domestic market.
• Value Logistics: Value Logistics is a South African freight forwarding, clearing, and supply-chain operator with similar branch network and customs brokerage capabilities, directly competing for SME and mid-market import/export volumes.

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel South Africa: Kuehne+Nagel operates air and sea freight forwarding across South Africa with global network reach, competing head-to-head with Cargo Compass for enterprise shipper accounts and customs brokerage mandates.
• DSV South Africa: DSV is one of the world's largest freight forwarders with established South African operations providing air, sea, and road freight forwarding plus customs brokerage - a direct global competitor to Cargo Compass in the SA import/export market.
• Bidvest Tete: Bidvest's logistics division operates in freight forwarding, customs, and supply-chain services across South Africa, overlapping directly with Cargo Compass's full suite of air/sea freight and customs offerings, though at significantly larger group scale.
• Expeditors South Africa: Expeditors is a global asset-light freight forwarder with South African presence, offering air and ocean freight forwarding and customs brokerage services directly comparable to Cargo Compass's core offering.
• CMA CGM South Africa: CMA CGM operates ocean shipping and logistics services in South Africa through its CEVA Logistics arm, providing freight forwarding, customs clearance, and warehousing that overlaps with Cargo Compass's full service mix.
• DHL Global Forwarding South Africa: DHL Global Forwarding provides international air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs services in South Africa, leveraging its parent network to compete with Cargo Compass on integrated door-to-door logistics.
• Maersk South Africa Logistics & Services: Maersk's logistics arm in South Africa offers integrated ocean freight, inland transport, customs, and warehousing services - vertically competing with Cargo Compass from ocean carrier through to last-mile delivery.

Others

• Panalpina (now DSV) historical SA unit: Listed separately to acknowledge the historical Panalpina SA freight forwarding franchise, which was absorbed by DSV in 2019 - relevant comparable because of its pre-merger positioning as a top-tier independent forwarder in the same South African air/sea freight and customs niche as Cargo Compass.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CargoCompassSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cargocompasssa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cargo Compass