Cargo Handling Specialists

What Cargo Handling Specialists does

Cargo Handling Specialists, founded in 1995 in Cape Town as Cape Crating and rebranded in 2025, is a privately held South African industrial logistics services provider operating through eight integrated divisions: Crating and Packaging, Container, Rigging, Projects, Warehouse and Storage, Stevedoring, Hazardous, and Transport. Its core technical capability is the manufacture of custom ISPM-15 compliant heat-treated timber crates and pallets for export, combined with on-site SOLAS/VGM container weighing using a proprietary mobile rig of four hydraulic jacks and load cells that transmit gross mass, GPS coordinates, and seal data to a smartphone for instant VGM certification. Supporting capabilities include IATA and IMDG certified dangerous goods handling for Classes 1–9 with Dangerous Goods Note issuance, licensed stevedoring at South African ports, heavy lift rigging and machine moving using certified tackle inspected every six months, SQAS-compliant hazardous transport via an owned fleet and partner network, turnkey project logistics for mining, construction, and energy sectors, and a 24/7 secured warehouse with CCTV and armed response.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model with custom quotes rather than published pricing. Customers submit requests via website forms, phone, or email, with a stated 24-hour response commitment. Pricing is driven by cargo dimensions, regulatory class, complexity, and end-to-end service scope across single or multiple divisions, which lets the company consolidate rigging, transport, stevedoring, and crating on one invoice. Distribution is direct-to-business with no intermediaries; INPRO Group membership provides international reach for multi-geography projects. Customers identified in public materials include FTK Design and Development, Yachtport SA, and unnamed manufacturing maintenance teams, across verticals such as mining and energy (primary), exporters and freight forwarders (primary), EPC contractors, and shipping lines.

Revenue mechanics rely on a combination of in-house crews and a trusted partner network for transport capacity, with the company positioning itself as a single point of contact that eliminates the multi-vendor coordination burden typical of complex industrial moves. Ownership is family-led under Managing Director Owen Bottomley, with no disclosed outside equity, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the input period. The asset base is concentrated at the 5 Carlisle Street, Paarden Eiland headquarters in Cape Town, supported by the B-BBEE Level 2 rating that materially improves the addressable market for enterprise and government buyers in South Africa.

Name

Cargo Handling Specialists

Legal name

Cargo Handling Specialists

Website

https://cargohs.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cargo Handling Specialists is a Cape Town-based, family-led industrial logistics services provider that delivers ISPM-15 export crating, SOLAS/VGM container weighing, licensed stevedoring, heavy lift rigging, hazardous goods handling, and turnkey project logistics primarily to mining, construction, energy, freight forwarding, and EPC clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Export Packaging and Cargo Handling Services

NAICS

Packing and Crating (488991), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Cargo Packing, Crating & Securing (Lashing/Dunnage) (TLAIAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Plants & Process Equipment (EPC/Turnkey Projects) (TLACAIAA), Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Project Cargo Logistics & Transport Management (TLADAGAB)

Keywords

• Export crating services
• ISPM-15 packaging
• Hazardous cargo handling
• Heavy lift rigging
• Container stevedoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crating and Packaging Services: Custom wooden crate manufacturing and export packaging solutions, including ISPM-15 compliant timber, pallets, and specialized packaging materials. Revenue generated on a project-by-project basis based on cargo specifications and complexity.
2. Transport and Logistics Services: Container haulage, abnormal load transport, crane truck hire, national long haul, and local distribution services. Uses own fleet combined with trusted industry network for rate quoting.
3. Stevedoring and Port Operations: Licensed port operations including vessel loading/discharge, lashing and securing, breakbulk handling, heavy lift projects, welding and dunnage, and port captaincy services.
4. Rigging and Machine Moving: Heavy lift rigging, factory relocations, machine moving, crane hire, jack and slide systems for ultra-heavy components, and container destuffing services.
5. Container Services: Container stuffing, open top and flat rack loading, VGM weighing and certification, de-stuffing, and cross-docking services.
6. Turnkey Project Logistics: End-to-end logistics management for complex industrial projects including dismantling, packing, shipping, and final installation coordination.
7. Hazardous Cargo Handling: UN-approved packaging supply, DG labelling and marking, documentation (DGN), lithium battery packing, decanting and re-packing, and inner/outer packaging for dangerous goods Classes 1-9.
8. Warehouse and Storage Services: Secure warehousing with 24/7 security, fire protection, armed response monitoring, and CCTV surveillance. Includes general storage, container de-stuffing, pick and pack, cross-docking, and stock inventory management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cargo Handling Specialists is a Cape Town-based logistics company that engineers custom export crating and packaging solutions for the freight forwarding industry, including ISPM-15 compliant heat-treated wooden crates, hazardous materials packing under IATA/IMDG certifications, heavy lift rigging and machine moving, licensed port stevedoring, secure warehousing, and turnkey project logistics coordination for industrial clients.

Product overview

Cargo Handling Specialists operates as a full-service logistics company with eight integrated divisions providing comprehensive cargo handling solutions. The core offering centers on custom crating and export packaging (Crating & Packaging Division) utilizing ISPM-15 compliant heat-treated timber, supported by specialized divisions for container operations (stuffing, lashing, VGM verification), heavy lift rigging and machine moving, turnkey project logistics, secure warehousing with inventory management, licensed stevedoring at South African ports, hazardous goods handling under IATA/IMDG certifications, and transport coordination. These divisions work in coordination to provide end-to-end logistics from crating and packing through transport, port operations, and international shipping compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crating & Packaging Division

Quantifiable outcome

• Response to quote requests within 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• INPRO GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of independent export packing companies providing global reach and collaborative opportunities. Membership enables Cargo Handling Specialists to serve clients with international operations and access expertise from peer companies worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mammoet: Global heavy lifting and engineered transport specialist offering factory relocations, jack-and-slide systems, and crane hire. Closely comparable to CHS's Rigging Division for ultra-heavy component moves and turnkey rigging projects.
• deugro: Global project logistics specialist focused on heavy lift, oversized cargo, and EPC turnkey projects. Directly comparable to CHS's Projects Division offering dismantling, packing, shipping, and installation coordination for mining, construction, and energy sectors.
• Value Logistics: South African contract logistics and distribution specialist serving FMCG, industrial, and freight-forwarding customers. Comparable in offering integrated logistics solutions including packing and warehousing, with similar focus on the Southern African market.
• Trans-Pacific Group (formerly NEI): International network of export packing and crating companies — direct peer and likely INPRO Group counterpart. Comparable in offering ISPM-15 compliant crating, export packaging, and project cargo handling on a global basis.

Broad incumbents

• Bidvest Logistics: South African division of Bidvest Group providing freight management, clearing & forwarding, warehousing, and industrial packaging. Direct competitor in the export crating and freight forwarding support space across South Africa.
• Imperial Logistics (now DP World Logistics): One of South Africa's largest end-to-end logistics providers (acquired by DP World in 2023), offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and palletized distribution. Comparable to CHS in serving mining, industrial, and freight-forwarding customers but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• DHL Industrial Projects: Division of DHL Global Forwarding providing project cargo, heavy lift, and industrial logistics for mining, energy, and EPC clients. Comparable to CHS in turnkey project logistics and export packing but operates as part of a global integrator network.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider with significant South African presence. Provides crating, export packing, dangerous goods handling, and project logistics comparable to CHS — but at much larger scale with global infrastructure.
• Greif (formerly CorrChoice / Boxon): Global industrial packaging manufacturer offering steel, plastic, and wooden containers for hazardous and non-hazardous goods. Comparable to CHS's Hazardous Division in providing UN-approved packaging (4GV boxes, drums, plywood crates) for dangerous goods Classes 1-9.

Regional players

• Cape Stevedoring (Transnet Port Terminals-adjacent operators): South African port-side stevedoring and cargo handling operators serving Cape Town and other national ports. Directly comparable to CHS's Stevedoring Division for licensed vessel loading, lashing, and breakbulk handling at South African ports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Cargo-Handling-Specialists/61585470111881
• Instagraminstagram.com/cargo.hs

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Handling Specialists