If you run a courier, express, or last‑mile delivery business in South Africa, there’s real money on the table in government and private courier tenders. From delivering medical samples between district hospitals, to moving exam papers under strict chain‑of‑custody, to daily e‑commerce pickups for retailers, buyers post fresh opportunities every week. This guide shows you exactly how to find courier tenders South Africa, what to prepare, how to price correctly, and how to submit a winning bid, step by step, so you can confidently grow your revenue and footprint.
Understanding the Courier Tender Landscape
Public vs Private Opportunities
Public sector courier tenders come from national departments, SOEs, provinces, municipalities, public hospitals, universities, and regulators. These typically run as open competitive bids with clear rules, SBD forms, and published evaluation criteria. Contracts often span 12–36 months with options to extend, which gives you stable volumes and predictable cash flow.
Private opportunities include banks, insurers, retailers, labs, mining houses, and tech companies. They might call them RFPs, RFQs, or panel appointments. The process can be quicker, negotiations are more flexible, and requirements can be more specialized (e.g., same‑day retail replenishment or cold‑chain courier for labs). NDAs are common: performance expectations are high.
Smart suppliers pursue both. Public work builds credibility and baseline volume. Private work lifts margins and exposes you to innovation (APIs, lockers, dynamic routing) that you can reference in future bids.
National, Provincial, and Municipal Buyers
- National: Departments like Health (specimen courier), Basic Education (secure papers), Justice (legal docs), Home Affairs (secure docs), and SOEs (Eskom, Transnet, SABC) issue courier/exchange/dispatch tenders.
- Provincial: Health and Education remain the biggest courier users at provincial level. Provincial treasuries, roads, and agriculture also tender inter‑office pouch and ad‑hoc parcel services.
- Municipal: Metros and local municipalities procure mailroom, pouch runs, and local distribution, often zone‑based within the municipality. These can be great entry points for smaller fleets.
Typical Scope and Deliverables
While every tender differs, most courier scopes include:
- Collections and deliveries (same‑day, overnight, economy, scheduled runs)
- Defined routes and frequencies (e.g., district hubs to clinics, daily at 15:00)
- Service levels and KPIs (on‑time %, proof of delivery SLA, damage rate)
- Packaging and labeling requirements (tamper‑evident, cold‑chain, barcoding)
- Tracking and reporting (POD, live status, monthly dashboards)
- Security and chain‑of‑custody protocols (especially for exams, legal, or high‑value)
- Insurance, risk controls, and incident reporting
Understanding the buyer’s environment, urban vs deep rural, clinic vs head office, high‑value vs bulk documents, shapes everything from your fleet mix to your price.
Compliance and Eligibility Requirements
CSD Registration, Tax Compliance, COIDA, and UIF
For public tenders, you must be visible and compliant on South Africa’s Central Supplier Database (CSD). Ensure:
- Active CSD registration with correct commodity codes (e.g., courier, express, freight)
- SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN (valid) and no outstanding returns
- COIDA Letter of Good Standing for employees doing deliveries
- UIF registration and contribution compliance
Also keep company documents current: CIPC registration, director IDs, bank letter, and proof of address.
B-BBEE and Preferential Procurement
Most organs of state use the PPPFA point system:
- 80/20 for bids up to R50 million (80 points price, 20 points preference)
- 90/10 above R50 million
Your B‑BBEE scorecard affects preference points. Courier SMEs often lift points via:
- Majority black ownership and management control
- Skills development (driver upskilling, learnerships)
- Enterprise and supplier development (mentoring subcontractors)
- Preferential procurement (sourcing from verified black‑owned suppliers)
Submit a valid B‑BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit (if QSE/EME) matching your ownership and turnover.
POPIA, Security Clearances, and Goods-in-Transit Insurance
Couriers handle personal and sensitive information. Expect:
- POPIA compliance: privacy policy, operator agreements, data retention, and breach procedures
- Security vetting: criminal checks for drivers: occasionally higher‑level vetting for sensitive routes
- Goods‑in‑Transit insurance: adequate cover per load: sometimes per item: plus public liability
Have SOPs for chain‑of‑custody, tamper‑evident seals, and temperature logging where applicable.
Where and How To Find Courier Tenders
Government Portals: eTender, Provincial, and Municipal Sites
Start with the National Treasury eTender Publication Portal and institutional websites:
- National Treasury eTender: Central listing of national/provincial tenders
- Provincial portals: e.g., Gauteng e‑procurement, KZN, Western Cape portals
- Municipal sites: city and district websites post RFQs and formal tenders: look for “Supply Chain” or “Tenders”
Set a weekly rhythm: scan new notices, download the tender pack, and diarize closing dates and briefings.
Tender Aggregators and Alerts
Manually checking dozens of sites costs time, and you miss deadlines. A specialized aggregator like eTender SA surfaces verified courier tenders South Africa in one place, tags by sector and location, and sends real‑time alerts. Use filters like “courier,” “express,” “specimen transport,” “mailroom,” or “secure documents,” then save searches and set daily digests. The speed advantage alone can decide whether you get a bid in on time.
Private Sector RFPs and Supplier Portals
Big corporates and labs run RFPs through their own portals or procurement suites (SAP Ariba, Coupa, Oracle). Practical steps:
- Register your company on retailer, bank, insurer, and pathology lab supplier portals
- Keep your profiles updated: fleet size, regions served, tech capabilities, insurance limits
- Network with facilities managers and procurement leads on LinkedIn: share concise capability decks
- Watch industry groups and chambers for panel appointments and pilot projects
The more visible you are, the more shortlists you’ll see.
Analyzing the Tender Pack
Specifications, Volumes, Routes, and Service Levels
Don’t skim, study the scope. Extract:
- Item list: doc satchels, parcels by size/weight, sensitive or cold‑chain items
- Volumes: monthly averages, peak months, and variability
- Origin–destination pairs: depots, clinics, schools, offices: urban vs rural split
- Service levels: same‑day cut‑offs, overnight windows, POD turnaround, redelivery rules
- Packaging and equipment: tamper seals, cool boxes, barcode printers, scanners
Build a quick demand model: “250 daily stops, 30% rural, 60% overnight, 10% same‑day,” then map capacity and costs to match.
Mandatory Briefings and Site Visits
Compulsory briefings are common in health and education tenders. Miss one and you’re non‑responsive. At the briefing, ask about loading bays, parking, access times, lift restrictions, and security protocols. If there’s a site visit, measure practical details: route conditions, distance between points, and actual handover processes. This improves both your pricing and your implementation plan.
Evaluation Criteria and Scoring Models
Most public tenders use a two‑stage approach:
- Functionality (technical) threshold: You must score above a minimum on experience, methodology, capacity, and references.
- Price and preference points: 80/20 or 90/10 under PPPFA.
Some add risk or due diligence checks. Private tenders may weight technology (APIs, live tracking), innovation (lockers, EV vans), and sustainability disclosures. Score yourself against the criteria before bidding, if you can’t plausibly hit the functionality threshold, save your time for a better fit.
Pricing Courier Services Correctly
Cost Drivers: Fuel, Labor, Vehicles, and Volumetric Weight
Courier pricing lives and dies on a few variables:
- Fuel: volatile: know your fleet’s km/l and typical route distances
- Labor: drivers, dispatch, call center, after‑hours allowances
- Vehicles: finance/lease, maintenance, tires, licensing, tracking devices
- Overheads: depot rent, IT, insurance, admin
- Volumetric weight: charge based on size when it exceeds scale weight. Common formula (cm): (L × W × H) / 5000
Example: 50 × 40 × 30 cm = 60,000/5000 = 12 kg volumetric: if the scale weight is 8 kg, bill 12 kg.
Build a cost‑per‑stop and cost‑per‑km model. Use historical consumption or trusted benchmarks, not guesswork.
Zone-Based Pricing and Surcharges
Most tenders want national or provincial coverage split into zones:
- Metro, regional, remote/rural
- Same‑day, overnight, economy tiers
Layer fair, transparent surcharges:
- Out‑of‑area or remote delivery fees
- After‑hours/weekend call‑outs
- Re‑deliveries and waiting time
- Special handling (fragile, high‑value, temperature‑controlled)
Make surcharges explicit in your rate card and rules to prevent disputes later.
Rate Cards, Escalations, and Break-Even Analysis
- Rate card: Provide per‑kg bands, per‑satchel rates, per‑stop fees, and km‑based ad‑hoc rates. Align exactly to the pricing schedule in the tender (SBD 3.1 or buyer template).
- Escalations: Propose an annual adjustment linked to CPI or a fuel index with a clear formula (e.g., base fuel at bid date: adjust quarterly if variance >5%).
- Break‑even: Run scenarios, what if volumes drop 20%? What if fuel rises 15%? Know your break‑even per route and service line so you don’t win a loss‑maker. A quick check: ensure gross margin covers overheads with a buffer for risk.
Building a Competitive Proposal
Technical Proposal Structure and Practical Examples
A clean, logical technical proposal makes scoring easy. Suggested flow:
- Executive summary: one page linking your solution to the buyer’s outcomes (on‑time, secure, compliant, value)
- Understanding of requirements: mirror their scope and highlight complexities (e.g., rural clinics, high‑risk deliveries)
- Methodology and service model: pickup cut‑offs, route planning, linehaul, last‑mile, contingency plans
- Implementation plan: 30/60/90‑day rollout with milestones (staffing, induction, route pilots)
- Quality and safety: SOPs, incident management, chain‑of‑custody, cold‑chain, audit schedule
- Technology: tracking, POD, client portal, API integration, reporting cadence
- Team and CVs: contract manager, ops lead, regional supervisors, key drivers
- Experience and references: relevant contracts, KPIs achieved, contactable references
- Risk register: top 10 risks and mitigations (vehicle breakdowns, route disruptions)
- Social value: local hiring and SMME development in the buyer’s jurisdiction
Practical example: If the buyer is a provincial Health Department, show how you’ll maintain temperature between 2–8°C for specimens, including pre‑conditioned gel packs, calibrated data loggers, and exception alerts to the lab.
Proof of Capacity: Fleet, Technology, Tracking, and POD
Back up claims with evidence:
- Fleet list: make, model, year, capacity, and where each vehicle will be assigned
- Backup capacity: rental partners, standby vans, subcontractor panels
- Technology: screenshots of live tracking and POD: sample client dashboards: uptime stats
- Compliance: insurance certificates (goods‑in‑transit, public liability), COIDA, driver training records
If you currently serve 120 daily stops in Gauteng, show maps, heat charts, and KPI reports. Tangible proof beats adjectives.
Subcontracting, Joint Ventures, and Consortiums
If you lack national reach, structure it:
- Subcontracting: appoint vetted regional couriers: define SLAs, branding, and data standards
- Joint ventures/consortiums: combine complementary footprints and share governance
- Preferential procurement: use the arrangement to enhance B‑BBEE and local participation
Include signed intent letters, role matrices, and how you’ll control quality and data across partners.
Bid Submission, Compliance, and Follow-Up
Checklists, Forms, Declarations, and Bid Bonds
Create a compliance checklist matched to the tender table of contents. Common public forms include:
- SBD 1: Invitation to Bid
- SBD 3.1/3.3: Pricing
- SBD 4: Declaration of Interest
- SBD 6.1: Preference Points (B‑BBEE)
- SBD 8 & 9: Past SCM practices and independent bid determination
Attach: CSD report, Tax PIN, COIDA, B‑BBEE, insurance certificates, and references. Bid bonds are rare in courier services but read the conditions, if required, get a bank guarantee timeously.
Submission Formats: Online, Email, and Physical
Follow instructions exactly:
- Online portals: upload in the specified file types: name files per the convention: allow time for large uploads
- Email: watch size limits: send read receipts: include all annexures
- Physical: bind neatly, label the envelope, and deliver to the correct tender box before cut‑off: keep a stamped copy of the receipt page
Late or incomplete submissions are non‑responsive, no exceptions.
Clarifications, Appeals, and Debriefs
Use the clarification window to ask focused questions, don’t wait until the last day. After award, if you’re unsuccessful, request a debrief to see your technical and price scores. Note lessons, update your templates, and improve. If you believe there was a material irregularity, the process for lodging an appeal is set out in the bid documents, follow it professionally and within deadlines.
Contract Delivery and Growth
KPIs, SLAs, and Reporting Cadence
From day one, manage to the numbers:
- On‑time delivery % by service level and region
- POD turnaround (e.g., within 24 hours for overnight)
- Damage/loss rate and incident response times
- First‑attempt delivery rate and redelivery cycles
- Customer satisfaction and complaint resolution
Report weekly during start‑up, then monthly with trend analysis, root causes, and actions.
Onboarding, Start-Up Plans, and Risk Management
Have a detailed start‑up plan:
- Recruit and vet drivers early: run route pilots before go‑live
- Induct teams on buyer SOPs, security, and POPIA
- Stage vehicles, scanners, labels, and consumables in regional depots
- Run day‑minus‑1 readiness checks: confirm contacts and escalation paths
Risk playbook: alternate routes, standby vehicles, inventory of seals and cool packs, power contingencies at depots, and a comms plan for service disruptions.
Scaling National Footprint and Continuous Improvement
Use the contract to build leverage:
- Open micro‑depots in growth nodes: add lockers where volumes justify
- Standardize SOPs and data so you can plug in partners fast
- Pilot innovations: dynamic routing, smart POD, greener vehicles where feasible
- Capture case studies and KPI wins: they become proof for the next tender
Renewals favor suppliers who propose year‑on‑year improvements, cost, speed, and visibility.
Conclusion
Courier tenders South Africa are competitive, but they’re winnable when you approach them like a disciplined operator: find opportunities fast, read the pack properly, price with a clear cost model, and submit a crisp, compliant proposal backed by real capacity.
If you’re ready to move, your next step is simple: visit eTender SA to find verified tenders, set smart alerts, and get in early on the opportunities that match your footprint. The sooner you start tracking bids, the sooner you’ll be delivering on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are courier tenders in South Africa and who issues them?
Courier tenders South Africa are formal procurement requests for collection and delivery services. Public buyers include national departments, SOEs, provinces, municipalities, hospitals, and universities. Private issuers span banks, insurers, retailers, labs, and mining houses, typically via RFPs/RFQs or panel appointments. Contracts often run 12–36 months with extension options.
How do I quickly find courier tenders South Africa without missing deadlines?
Start with the National Treasury eTender Portal, plus provincial and municipal sites. To save time, use a tender aggregator like eTender SA to receive real‑time alerts filtered by keywords such as “courier,” “specimen transport,” or “secure documents.” Set daily digests, track closing dates, and attend compulsory briefings.
What compliance documents are required to bid on public courier tenders?
Ensure active CSD registration with correct commodity codes, a valid SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN, COIDA Letter of Good Standing, UIF compliance, and current CIPC documents. Submit a valid B‑BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, POPIA policies, security vetting procedures, and Goods‑in‑Transit plus public liability insurance certificates.
How should I price courier services for tenders to stay competitive and profitable?
Build a cost model covering fuel, drivers, vehicles, overheads, and volumetric weight. Use (L × W × H)/5000 to calculate chargeable weight in cm. Offer zone‑based rates (metro, regional, remote) with clear surcharges for after‑hours, redeliveries, and special handling. Propose CPI/fuel‑linked escalations and test break‑even scenarios.
Do I need special licenses or permits to run a courier service for tenders?
There’s no unique “courier license,” but you must be a registered company, tax compliant, and insured. For vehicles over 3.5 tons, an operator card and drivers with a Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) are required; dangerous goods need additional permits. Maintain Goods‑in‑Transit and public liability insurance and POPIA compliance.
What are typical payment terms on public courier contracts, and how can I manage cash flow?
Government entities generally target payment within 30 days of valid invoice under PFMA/MFMA guidelines, though delays can occur. Protect cash flow by invoicing accurately with required PODs, setting milestone billing where allowed, monitoring statement aging weekly, and negotiating reasonable escalation clauses to offset fuel and inflation shifts.