Air Cargo Is Becoming South Africa’s Strategic Advantage in a Fragmenting Global Economy
The global trading environment is becoming increasingly fragmented. Geopolitical tensions, tariffs and conflicts are reshaping traditional trade routes; supply chains continue to absorb the aftershocks, and businesses are facing a world where disruptions are no longer the exception but the norm. Against this backdrop, one mode of transport has emerged as an indispensable enabler of resilience: air cargo.
The evidence is compelling. According to the International Air Transport Association report Air Cargo, Trade and Economic Growth in 2025, air cargo acted as a 'structural component of global economic resilience', helping businesses absorb tariff shocks, rapidly restructure supply chains and sustain global trade growth of 2.4% and global GDP growth of 3.2% despite significant trade policy uncertainty.
In a year marked by the highest US tariff rates since the 1930s, companies accelerated imports to avoid impending cost increases. Air freight became the logistics mode of choice, moving 82% of the value of goods transported by air. This demonstrates that when supply chains face disruption, speed and flexibility become the strategic advantage.
Air cargo also creates resilience through opening new markets. The era of relying on a limited number of markets, suppliers and transport corridors is over. Whether it is Red Sea shipping disruptions, port congestion, geopolitical tensions, pandemics or climate-related events, modern supply chains require multiple options to remain functional. The recently developed Airfreight Strategy for South Africa recognises this reality and places diversification at the centre of future competitiveness.
South Africa's current logistics landscape presents both strengths and vulnerabilities. More than 90% of international air cargo moves through Gauteng’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. While this concentration has created some efficiencies, it also creates a significant risk. Any disruption at a single gateway can have national consequences for exporters and importers alike.
Building resilience therefore means developing a networked approach. Strengthening cargo capabilities at Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport provides much-needed redundancy while creating flexibility during periods of disruption.
The same principle applies internationally. South Africa remains heavily dependent on traditional European and Middle Eastern gateways. However, the future growth opportunities increasingly lie elsewhere, in Southeast Asia, South America, BRICS economies and African markets linked through the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Expanding connectivity to these regions is not merely about opening new routes. It is about creating alternative trade pathways that allow South African businesses to continue operating when established corridors face disruption.
The role air cargo played during the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated this point. It became the critical air bridge that maintained the movement of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and essential goods when other modes were constrained. The same pattern emerged during Red Sea shipping disruptions and periods of severe port congestion. Air freight acted as the pressure valve that prevented broader supply chain failures.
This strategic function will only become more important as global uncertainty increases. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence provides a powerful example. In 2025, more than two-thirds of global AI-related trade by value moved via air cargo. Servers, memory chips, data storage equipment and other high-value technology products rely on speed, security and flexibility.
Resilience cannot be achieved through policy alone. It requires investment. According to South Africa's Airfreight Strategy and related industry research, improving airport cargo infrastructure, cold-chain capacity, cargo-handling technology, and airfreight facilities is important for enhancing the country's competitiveness as a regional logistics gateway.
This infrastructure investment is particularly important given the rapid growth of e-commerce and time-sensitive exports. Exporters increasingly compete not only on product quality but also on delivery speed and reliability.
