Quarter 2 2026

Quarterly Report | Published July 2026

SOUTH AFRICA'S LOGISTICS SECTOR UNDER PRESSURE IN Q2 2026 

The Ctrack Transport & Freight Index (TFI) came under renewed pressure in Q2 2026 following the strong, broad-based recovery recorded in the first quarter. The index declined by 3.3% quarter-on-quarter to reach a level of 120.8, its lowest since January 2026, although it remained 3.4% higher than a year earlier. The slowdown was driven by rising fuel costs, weaker economic activity and ongoing uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict, which placed pressure on transport demand and operating costs across the logistics sector. The impact was broad-based, with storage and handling declining by 12.9%, sea freight by 9.3%, rail freight by 7.9% and road freight by 0.6%. Air freight was the strongest performer, increasing by 6.4% as demand shifted towards faster, time-sensitive transport solutions, while pipeline transport grew by 2.0%. Fuel prices remained a major concern, with petrol and diesel increasing cumulatively by R6.00 and R6.87 per litre respectively between March and July, raising the risk of further inflation and increased supply-chain costs. While the weaker performance signals a muted or potentially negative contribution from the transport sector to Q2 economic growth, continued reforms across South Africa’s ports and rail network provide a more positive medium-term outlook for improved efficiency, lower logistics costs and stronger export capacity.