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21 August 2026 – The airfreight market remains highly sensitive to international political developments, a trend that was again evident during the first half of 2026. According to Heinrich Kirstein, SACO Shipping’s Cape Town branch manager, expectations are nevertheless positive for the third and fourth quarters, which traditionally mark the peak season and often bring increased flight capacity and higher cargo volumes.
International statistics paint a mixed picture about volumes, largely due to the continued rerouting of global trade. Despite this, Kirstein said general cargo volumes locally had remained resilient and stable. “We attribute this stability to local businesses using airfreight to bypass port congestion and move time-sensitive components, consumer goods and industrial spares, thereby keeping local supply chains moving.”
He said global maritime disruptions continued to drive the shift from sea to airfreight as businesses sought to mitigate delays and maintain supply- chain continuity. “This modal shift, together with our tailored, hands-on and personalised business model, shows that freight forwarders are not simply looking for space on an aircraft. They want a dedicated partner that provides proactive communication, flexibility and customised service,” said Kirstein.
At SACO Shipping, considerable effort goes into understanding the unpredictable and complex supply- chain challenges facing clients. “We have focused on maintaining a direct, hands-on approach,” Kirstein told Freight News. “A one-size-fits-all model does not work for everyone. We develop customised solutions for individual shipments and tailor our services to the needs of forwarding clients.”
He said the company had refined its co-loading and scheduled consolidation services significantly into and out of Cape Town International Airport. At least three additional flights are expected during the coming peak season, further strengthening its service offering. “With the maritime sector facing challenges such as port delays, forwarders will continue to rely on flexible airfreight solutions to meet the needs of importers and exporters. However, our primary challenge remains capacity constraints.”
Kirstein said seasonal perishables accounted for a significant portion of airfreight volumes at Cape Town International Airport, making it challenging to secure consistent, year-round belly-hold capacity for general cargo. “Fluctuations in fuel prices, security surcharges and exchange rates require daily monitoring to ensure we protect our clients and provide stable pricing. It would be irresponsible to ignore the challenges created by dynamic pricing. Selling cargo space in the same way that budget airlines sell passenger seats can deter project cargo and we avoid exposing our clients to the risk of uncertain pricing.”
These pricing and capacity challenges are particularly evident on certain trade lanes, with some routes experiencing far greater pressure than others. “We are seeing significant shifts. European routes remain our steady baseline, but inbound and outbound lanes connecting Cape Town with Asian manufacturing hubs via Middle Eastern gateways are experiencing the tightest capacity,” said Kirstein.
He added that intra-African trade was showing strong growth potential as regional business ties strengthened and forwarders sought better connections to southern and East African hubs.
The rapid growth of e-commerce is also reshaping the airfreight market and adding to existing capacity pressures. “Large volumes from global e-commerce platforms are taking up much-needed airline capacity. This makes our consolidated space allocations and customised solutions particularly valuable to local forwarders who need guaranteed space for their cargo.”
However, Kirstein said the growth in e-commerce could also support the introduction of additional flights into Cape Town and, potentially, the dedicated freighter service the market needed. Source: Freight News