GEODIS, a multinational transport and logistics operator, has enhanced its footprint in Southern Africa by opening a new cross-border trucking service to enable the freer movement of goods across the region. The service, which came on board from July 2025, positions Johannesburg, South Africa, as the hub for connecting businesses with ten neighboring countries. It offers clients customizable transport solutions through both full truckload (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) choices, so that businesses of all sizes can benefit from efficient cross-border distribution.
The new service includes direct trucking connections between South Africa and Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Some of the urban centers within these markets include Luanda, Gaborone, Lubumbashi, Mbabane, Maseru, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Maputo, Windhoek, Lusaka, Ndola, Harare, and Bulawayo. With this network, the Johannesburg hub is a strategic hub for the distribution of an immense array of commodities, ranging from industrial products to consumer items. This development is a critical step toward enabling cross-border trade in a part of the world where logistics have traditionally been constrained by operational and infrastructure challenges.
The operation is built upon fixed transit times and variable capacity so GEODIS can adapt to business needs of companies looking for reliability and flexibility in supply chains. Through tailored routing solutions, the firm enables shipments to be matched against the individual needs of each customer while gaining efficiency over multiple corridors. This should enhance trade flows and reduce bottlenecks that have hindered regional trade in the past.
“Logistics across borders in Africa is not always smooth. With this new offering, we can offer our customers an uninterrupted flow of goods from start to finish, backed by our local expertise and strong infrastructure,” said Cobus Fourie, Managing Director, GEODIS in South Africa. He pointed out that the service is tailor-made to remove complexity for customers so that they can be more easily led through customs procedures, regulatory requirements, and the transport environment in each country.
GEODIS’ foray into Southern Africa comes at a good time as intra-African trade is picking up in rising momentum through arrangements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By providing efficient and dependable transport services, the company is also becoming a fundamental driver of intra-regional economic development. Its hub in Johannesburg not only serves the nearby Southern African market but is also utilized as a stepping stone for broader trade networks that can reach further into the continent.
The international nature of the company lends gravity to this project. With a presence in nearly 170 nations and 50,000 employees worldwide, in 2024 GEODIS had revenue of €11.3 billion. Its extensive global presence allows it to tap into experience, technology, and infrastructure to deliver consistent service quality in new markets. In Southern Africa, this means local businesses having access to global logistics quality but with region-specific operations.
With its new cross-border trucking service, GEODIS is addressing one of the region’s largest challenges—good and reliable ground transport. By bridging gaps between South Africa and neighbors, the company is helping to support supply chains, drive investment, and power regional trade development. As Southern Africa’s economies become increasingly diversified and larger, the service is set to have a material impact on logistics for years to come.
