SACO CFR (PTY) LTD

Name

SACO CFR (PTY) LTD

Legal name

SACO CFR (PTY) LTD

Website

https://sacocfr.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Marine Cargo Handling (488320), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Container Freight Stations (CFS) & LCL Deconsolidation/Consolidation (TLAHAAAG), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

Keywords

• Multimodal freight consolidation
• Ocean freight services
• Airfreight forwarding
• Cross-border road freight
• Container freight station

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 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. Freight Consolidation Services: LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) ocean freight consolidation services as neutral NVOCC. Revenue generated through freight charges, handling fees, and consolidation charges.
2. Airfreight Services: Air cargo consolidation and forwarding services with block space agreements with carriers.
3. Road Freight Services: Cross-border road freight services to SADC and BLNE regions with LTL and FTL options.
4. Warehousing and CFS Services: Container Freight Station (CFS) operations including degroup, cross-docking, storage, and fumigation services.
5. Training Services: Skills development and training programs through Metro Minds subsidiary.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SACO CFR is a neutral multi-modal freight consolidator providing ocean freight (LCL/FCL), airfreight, and cross-border road freight services, alongside ZACPAK container freight station warehousing and Metro Minds training services. The company operates as a non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), serving freight forwarders and importers/exporters across Southern Africa and globally through AirCargoGroup and WorldWide Alliance networks.

Product overview

SACO CFR (PTY) LTD is a neutral multi-modal freight consolidator operating as an NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier). The company offers a portfolio of integrated logistics services comprising Ocean Freight (including LCL consolidation), Airfreight, Road Freight (cross-border SADC/BLNE coverage), and Warehousing through ZACPAK Container Freight Stations. The company has expanded through acquisition into Training & Development via Metro Minds. Technology offerings include the proprietary SHIFT LCL operational platform and client-facing portals (Ocean ClientZone, ZACPAK ClientZone). The company maintains global coverage through AirCargoGroup and WorldWide Alliance network partnerships, with majority ownership by SACO Shipping GmbH Germany since 2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZACPAK: Warehousing and Container Freight Station (CFS) services including terminal cross hauls, empty container services, national inter-depot movements, full container storage, degroup/LCL import container unpacks, consolidated export container packing, customs examinations, and hazardous compliant warehousing
• Metro Minds

Products and services

• Ocean Freight International ocean freight services including LCL (Less than Container Load) consolidation, FCL (Full Container Load), and NVOCC operations. Offers direct CFS-to-CFS services with global coverage through AirCargoGroup and WorldWide Alliance network partnerships.
• Airfreight Air cargo services operating through AirCargoGroup network partnerships with preferential contract rates secured with premium carriers for both imports and exports, including block space agreements.
• Road Freight Cross-border road freight services covering SADC (Southern African Development Community) and BLNE (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini) regions. Includes weekly FTL/LTL services to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini, with fortnightly services to Malawi.
• ZACPAK Warehousing Container Freight Station (CFS) and warehousing services including terminal cross hauls, empty container services, LCL import container unpacks, customs examinations, bonded storage, and hazardous-compliant warehousing. Operates facilities in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Coega.
• Metro Minds Training Accredited training and development services offered through majority-owned subsidiary. Provides skills consultancy, short workshops, and nationally/internationally recognized qualifications. Focus areas include Leadership Development, Sales & Customer Management, Business Professionalism, Work Readiness, and Freight & Logistics.
• SOLAS VGM Certification Verified Gross Mass certification service for export containers. SACO CFR was the first company in South Africa approved by SAMSA to use Method 2 weight verification. Covers all containers packed at Cape Town, Durban, Coega (Gqeberha), and Johannesburg depots.
• Dangerous Goods Handling Specialized handling of hazardous materials (excluding hazardous class 1 and 7), subject to prior acceptance with penalties for mis-declared shipments.
• Export Clearance In-house export customs clearance services providing customers with streamlined documentation processing.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Food and Trees for AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Environmental partnership commitment to plant 570 indigenous trees at schools and beneficiaries across Gauteng, Gqeberha, and KwaZulu Natal as part of Shifting to Green sustainability initiative.
• Metro MindscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022SACO CFR acquired majority shareholding in Metro Minds, an accredited training provider established in 2006. Metro Minds provides skills development and education programs including leadership development, sales, customer management, and freight/logistics training.
• Etihad AirwaysmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Block space agreement (BSA) signed with Etihad Airways enabling preferential cargo capacity and competitive rates. The partnership was facilitated in conjunction with Shipco Airfreight partner in China.
• AirCargoGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal airfreight network partnership providing international coverage for air cargo services. SACO CFR operates as a member of this network to access global airfreight capabilities and partner services.
• WorldWide Alliance (WWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal ocean freight and logistics network membership providing worldwide coverage for LCL consolidation services. The alliance enables CFS-to-CFS services and shared technology solutions.
• Worldwide Alliance Greenovations PledgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in global network commitment with five pillars: paperless environment, renewable energy, recycling programs, banning single-use plastics, and sustainable water containers.
• Shipco AirfreightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChina-based partner collaboration for airfreight services, working together on the Etihad BSA block space agreement to offer competitive rates from China.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: Global 3PL owned by CMA CGM with strong ocean freight forwarding and contract logistics capabilities. Competes with SACO CFR in ocean LCL/FCL consolidation and contract logistics.
• Geodis: French global logistics provider offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain optimization. Comparable multimodal service offering competing for the same enterprise forwarding customers.
• DSV: Global transport and logistics company with strong ocean/air forwarding presence in Africa post-Panalpina and Schenker acquisitions. Competes head-to-head with SACO CFR for enterprise freight forwarding contracts.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL, offering ocean, air, and road freight services worldwide including in Sub-Saharan Africa. Overlaps directly with SACO CFR's multimodal service portfolio.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with ocean, air, and road services across Africa and globally. Competes with SACO CFR for large freight forwarder customers and import/export contracts but at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Kerry Logistics Network: Asia-based global freight forwarder with deep LCL consolidation heritage. Operates a comparable network-based forwarding model and competes in cross-continental consolidation lanes.
• Expeditors International of Washington: US-headquartered global freight forwarder with ocean and air consolidation services. Comparable business model as a non-asset-based forwarder serving importers/exporters via global network.
• Shipco Transport: Global neutral NVOCC and freight forwarder specializing in LCL consolidation. Direct competitor in the consolidator/NVOCC space and an actual partner to SACO CFR on the Etihad BSA via their China operations.

Regional players

• Imperial Logistics: Major South African logistics company (now part of DP World) operating freight forwarding, contract logistics, and distribution across Africa. Most directly comparable regional competitor to SACO CFR in the Southern African market.
• Bidvest Logistics: South African logistics division of Bidvest Group, providing freight forwarding, clearing, warehousing, and distribution. Competes directly with SACO CFR/ZACPAK in CFS and contract logistics within South Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SACOCFR

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SACO CFR (PTY) LTD