The problem we solve
Most supply chains are managed in pieces.
That is where the cost hides.
When different companies handle different parts of your logistics, accountability disappears at every handoff. Nobody owns the full picture. You end up chasing information, absorbing unexpected costs and managing relationships with five different providers instead of running your business.
You never know the real cost upfront
Freight quotes exclude port charges, storage fees, detention costs and delivery. By the time the final invoice arrives, the number looks nothing like what you budgeted. TSI calculates your full landed cost before you commit.
Nobody owns the problem end to end
Your freight forwarder blames the clearing agent. The clearing agent blames the port. The trucking company says it was ready and waiting. Meanwhile your cargo sits. TSI removes every handoff by managing every step in-house.
Visibility disappears between touchpoints
You know your cargo left Shanghai. You know it cleared customs eventually. What happened in between is a mystery. TSI gives you real-time visibility across every leg of every shipment through a single platform.
Delays compound because nobody intervenes early
A vessel delay becomes a port storage charge. A customs query becomes demurrage. Small exceptions become large costs because nobody is watching the full picture and acting before the clock runs out. TSI does.
What TSI is
An intelligent logistics operator.
Not a broker. Not a middleman.
TSI Central Station was founded in 2006 with a clear purpose: to give South African importers and exporters the kind of supply chain management that only the largest multinational companies had access to. A single operator that manages everything, sees everything and is accountable for everything.
We are not a freight broker who finds the cheapest rate and passes your shipment to someone else. We are the operator. Our teams manage sea freight, air freight, road transport, cross-border trucking, warehousing and distribution — and we appoint and oversee SARS-licensed clearing agents to handle customs on your behalf. One point of contact. Full accountability at every step.
In month one TSI turned over R40,000. In month two, R6 million. The market was ready for a logistics company that simply told the truth. That has not changed.
The TSI operating standard
- ✓ Single point of contact across all services and all modes
- ✓ Full landed cost calculated before you commit, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Real-time visibility through the TSI Digital Control Tower
- ✓ Customs clearing coordinated and managed through appointed, SARS-licensed clearing agents, no unmanaged handoffs
- ✓ Proactive port management to eliminate detention and demurrage
- ✓ Level 2 B-BBEE certified, your spend contributes to your scorecard
TSI connects every part of your supply chain into one managed operation
The six components
Every logistics service your business needs,
managed as one operation.
TSI does not subcontract. Every service below is managed in-house by the same team, on the same platform, under the same single point of accountability.
Sea Freight
Full container load, groupage and project cargo managed from origin booking through to port clearance and final delivery. TSI handles FCL, LCL, breakbulk, hazardous, refrigerated and out-of-gauge cargo across all major South African ports and all major global trade lanes.
Sea freight servicesAir Freight
Time-critical cargo moved fast. Direct consolidations, charter options and door-to-door management for urgent or high-value shipments. TSI manages the full air freight cycle from booking through customs clearance and inland delivery, with the same single point of accountability as every other mode.
Air freight servicesCustoms Clearing
TSI manages the entire customs clearing process on your behalf. Bills of entry are prepared and lodged by our appointed, SARS-licensed clearing agents, coordinated and overseen by the TSI team. Tariff classification, duty calculation and SARS release are managed within the same operation tracking your shipment, which means faster clearance and direct accountability when something needs to be resolved.
How TSI handles customsRoad Freight
Import and export container movements between port and warehouse, managed on GPS-tracked vehicles. TSI pioneered the non-stop Johannesburg to Cape Town two-driver relay for Procter and Gamble — a model now standard across the industry. Proof of delivery confirmed within 10 minutes per drop. All major corridors covered including cross-border routes into Sub-Saharan Africa.
Road freight servicesWarehousing
Short and long-term storage with full inventory visibility through the TSI Digital Control Tower. Goods receipting, pick and pack and outbound distribution managed by TSI. Your stock levels, inbound receipts and outbound movements are visible in real time without needing to call anyone.
Warehousing servicesDistribution
Outbound delivery from TSI warehouses or client facilities to retail networks, distribution centres and end customers across South Africa. TSI manages route planning, carrier coordination and delivery confirmation. Every drop tracked, every POD confirmed within 10 minutes.
Distribution servicesHow it works
From the day you book to the day it delivers.
Every TSI supply chain engagement follows a managed process. You have visibility at every stage and one contact for everything.
You tell us what needs to move
Origin, destination, cargo type, timeline and budget. TSI assesses the best routing, mode and carrier combination and comes back with a full landed cost covering freight, duties, port charges and delivery. No surprises after the fact.
We book, coordinate and document
TSI secures vessel or aircraft space, coordinates with your supplier at origin and ensures all export documentation is correctly prepared before cargo moves. Nothing loads without the paperwork being right.
We track and manage in transit
Your shipment is live on the TSI Digital Control Tower from the moment it departs. Vessel positions, flight status, port ETAs and document readiness are all visible in real time. Exception alerts fire automatically if anything changes.
We clear customs and manage the port
TSI coordinates with our appointed SARS licensed clearing agents to lodge your bill of entry ahead of vessel arrival. The moment customs releases your cargo, TSI manages container collection within free days. Detention and demurrage charges do not accumulate on a TSI-managed shipment.
We move your cargo inland
From port to warehouse, distribution centre or final delivery address. TSI manages road transport on GPS-tracked vehicles with proof of delivery confirmed within 10 minutes per drop. The same team that cleared your cargo at port manages the last mile.
We report back with the full picture
Every completed shipment generates a full cost breakdown covering freight, port charges, customs duties, VAT and inland delivery. Your finance team has accurate landed cost data for every consignment without needing to reconcile invoices from five different suppliers.
A 3PL gives you a truck. A 4PL gives you control of your entire supply chain and turns it into a cash flow advantage. That is the difference between buying a service and buying a result.
TSI does not pass your cargo to a third-party agent at any point. When something goes wrong, there is one number to call and one team accountable for fixing it.
Freight, port charges, duties, VAT and inland delivery calculated upfront before you approve a single shipment. No surprise invoices. No costs that appear after the fact.
What the industry now calls a control tower, TSI was already running when we opened in 2006. The Digital Control Tower is proprietary, battle-tested across 20 years and available to every TSI client from day one.
Containers are collected within free days on every TSI-managed shipment. Our clients do not treat demurrage as a normal cost of doing business because with TSI managing the operation, it is not.
TSI appoints and manages licensed clearing agents on your behalf. You do not manage a separate agent relationship. TSI coordinates documentation, tariff classification and SARS submission with full accountability throughout.
A Level 2 B-BBEE rating means your procurement spend with TSI contributes meaningfully to your own scorecard. Compliance and commercial value from the same supplier.
Single point of contact across all services and all modes
Full landed cost calculated before you commit. No surprise invoices
Real-time visibility through the TSI Digital Control Tower
Managed customs coordination with licensed clearing agents appointed and held accountable by TSI
Proactive port management to eliminate detention and demurrage
Level 2 B-BBEE certified. Your spend contributes to your scorecard
Get started
You may be paying more than you should.
Find out in 48 hours.
TSI will audit your current import costs at no charge. We identify where you are overpaying on freight, duties, port charges and customs and we show you the numbers before you commit to anything. No obligation. No sales pitch. Just a clear picture of what your imports actually cost and what they should cost.
Tell us what you are currently importing and we will come back to you within one business day with a proper answer.
Request your free audit