Transport Tenders in South Africa: How SMEs Can Find, Price, and Win Contracts

If you’re chasing transport tenders in South Africa, you’re competing in one of the most active procurement arenas in the country, covering everything from scholar transport and last‑mile courier routes to bulk freight and hazardous loads. The upside? There’s steady demand and a clear pathway for SMEs to enter and scale. The catch? You need to be airtight on compliance, sharp on pricing, and smart about where you spend your bid energy.

This guide breaks down the current landscape, where to find opportunities, how to cost correctly, and the exact bid steps that help you score points on functionality, B‑BBEE, and price. You’ll also see worked examples so you can benchmark your rates and avoid rookie mistakes. When you’re ready to move, you can visit eTender SA to find verified transport tenders without the noise.

South Africa’s Transport Tender Landscape

Demand Drivers And Opportunities

Transport is a lifeline for government services and private supply chains. In 2024/25, several trends are shaping demand:

Public services ramp‑up: Provinces are reinstating and expanding scholar transport routes, especially in KZN, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo. PRASA’s corridor recoveries are improving rail availability, but bus/taxi feeder services remain essential, creating multi‑modal contracts.
Freight volatility: Port congestion and rail constraints at Transnet have pushed cargo onto roads. Until rail capacity normalizes, there’s outsized demand for side tippers, tautliners, refrigerated units, and abnormal load escorts.
Healthcare logistics: Post‑pandemic, provinces are standardizing medical specimen transport with strict chain‑of‑custody and cold‑chain requirements, great for SMEs with smaller reefer vans.
Retail e‑commerce: Same‑day and 48‑hour deliveries keep expanding into townships and secondary towns, opening last‑mile and micro‑hub shuttle tenders.

Where SMEs can win:

Regional and rural routes that bigger fleets avoid due to shorter loads.
Niche services: reefer, ADR/HAZCHEM, secure courier, lab specimens.
Subcontracting under big primes on SANRAL maintenance, PRASA feeder buses, or Transnet terminal shuttle operations.

Common Pitfalls And How Tenders Are Evaluated

Most disqualifications are technical, not price-related. Avoid these:

Missing compulsory briefing or site meeting.
Expired Tax Compliance Status (SARS) or CSD not reflecting correct bank details.
Incorrect or uncertified documents (IDs, B‑BBEE affidavits, licenses).
No proof of fleet roadworthiness or inadequate capacity.

How you’re typically scored:

Mandatory gate: Compliance docs, licensing, and minimum experience.
Functionality: Methodology, route plans, risk/safety, fleet, tracking, and references. You usually need 70%+ to advance.
Price & B‑BBEE: Evaluated under Preferential Procurement Regulations (generally 80/20 or 90/10 depending on value). Some buyers also use quality/price trade‑offs where a higher functionality score can justify a slightly higher price.

Pro tip: Read the TOR twice. Then build a one‑page compliance checklist and tick it off before printing or uploading your submission.

Types Of Transport Tenders And Who Issues Them

Freight And Logistics (Bulk, Container, Abnormal Loads)

Bulk commodities (coal, manganese, grain, aggregates) using interlinks or 34‑ton side tippers.
Containers to/from ports and inland depots: includes turn‑in deadlines and staging rules.
Abnormal loads require escorts, route approvals, and permits from SANRAL/road authorities.

Typical requirements: Fleet specs, tracking, PPE, weighbridge compliance, and proof of prior work.

Passenger And Scholar Transport

Daily school routes with morning/afternoon runs, term calendars, contingency buses, and strict safety.
Municipal and provincial commuter bus services: often multi‑year and performance‑based.

Expect seat‑belt/vehicle age limits, PDP drivers, and incident reporting protocols.

Courier, Last-Mile, And Medical/Specimen Transport

E‑commerce parcel runs, hub‑to‑spoke shuttles, and township delivery lanes.
Healthcare tenders for pathology labs and hospitals: time‑definite pickups, temp control, and chain‑of‑custody.

SME angle: Start with 1–3 vehicles on a specific cluster or district and scale.

Cold-Chain And Hazardous Materials

Refrigerated deliveries for food distributors and clinics (2–8°C common). Data‑logged temperature proof is standard.
HAZCHEM and ADR loads (fuels, chemicals) demand specialized training, placards, and emergency response plans.

Key Issuers: National, Provincial, Municipal, And SOEs

National/Provincial: Departments of Transport, Health, Education, Agriculture.
Municipalities/Metros: Scholar transport, waste and fleet logistics, community services.
SOEs: Transnet (ports, rail), PRASA (rail feeder services), SANRAL (road maintenance logistics), ACSA (airport logistics), Eskom (site deliveries, spares).

Compliance And Registration Essentials

Company And Tax: CSD, SARS Tax Compliance, B-BBEE

Register on the Central Supplier Database (CSD). Keep banking, directors, and commodities updated.
Maintain an active SARS Tax Compliance Status (TCS PIN). Many bids validate it online.
B‑BBEE: For EMEs/QQSEs, a sworn affidavit (correct sector) may suffice. Larger entities need a verification certificate.

Licensing And Safety: Operating Licenses, PDP, Permits, HAZCHEM

Operating licenses/route permits for passenger services via the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE).
Professional Driving Permit (PDP) for drivers per category (goods/passenger).
Abnormal load permits and HAZCHEM/ADR compliance where applicable.

Insurance And Labor: GIT/Carrier Liability, COIDA, OHS, Driver Contracts

Goods‑in‑Transit (GIT) and carrier liability aligned to cargo values.
COIDA letter of good standing: OHS policy: incident/claims process.
Written driver contracts, overtime policy, and fatigue management.

Fleet Readiness: Roadworthiness, Tracking, Maintenance Records

Valid Certificate of Fitness (COF), up‑to‑date license discs.
Tracking/telemetry with geofencing and speed alerts (many TORs require it).
Maintenance logs, service intervals, tyre policy, and substitution plan for breakdowns.

Where To Find Transport Tenders (Government And Private)

National Treasury eTender, Provincial Portals, And Tender Bulletins

National Treasury eTender portal lists most national and provincial opportunities.
Provincial portals (e.g., Gauteng, KZN, Western Cape) and weekly tender bulletins carry route‑specific notices and addenda.
Watch compulsory briefing dates, missing one is an automatic disqualification.

SOE Portals: Transnet, PRASA, SANRAL, ACSA, Eskom

Transnet: Port trucking, rail support, depot shuttles, and container moves.
PRASA: Feeder bus services, security escort logistics, and station support.
SANRAL: Logistics for maintenance projects, abnormal permits info.
ACSA: Airside/landside logistics, time‑critical spares.
Eskom: Site delivery services, hazardous materials, and outage logistics.

Private-Sector RFPs And Broker Networks

Retailers, 3PLs, and mining houses issue RFPs via their own portals or procurement platforms.
Freight brokers can provide consistent lanes to build a track record, negotiate fair payment terms and minimums.

Using eTender SA For Targeted Alerts And Shortlisting

Set filters for “transport tenders South Africa” by region, vehicle type, temperature control, or passenger vs. freight.
Get daily/weekly alerts so you bid only on tenders that match your fleet and compliance level.
Use shortlisting to track deadlines, store documents, and prep faster for repeat categories.

Costing And Pricing Your Transport Bid

Build A Cost Model: Fuel, Tolls, Wages, Depreciation, Overheads, Margin, VAT

Create a per‑kilometer and per‑day model that includes:

Fuel: Use realistic consumption (e.g., 2.2–2.6 km/l for loaded interlinks: 7–9 km/l for vans). Update rates weekly.
Tolls: Reflect current toll tariffs and corridor choices. Gauteng e‑tolls were decommissioned, but national tolls remain.
Wages: Align with sectoral agreements and include overtime, night shift, allowances.
Depreciation/Finance: Monthly repayment or capital cost allocation per km.
Tyres/Maintenance: Set aside cents per km for predictable wear.
Overheads: Insurance (GIT, vehicle), tracking, admin, yard, compliance audits.
Margin: Add target profit before VAT: then apply VAT if applicable.

Per-Kilometer Vs. Per-Load Pricing And Minimums

Per‑km works for long, stable lanes with predictable volumes.
Per‑load suits multi‑stop or variable routes where distance isn’t the only driver.
Minimum charges protect you from short-notice or low‑volume runs (e.g., a 150 km minimum billable distance per day).

Worked Example: 34-Ton Side Tipper On A 600 Km Route

Assumptions (illustrative):

Distance: 600 km round trip: 22 days/month: 1 load/day.
Consumption: 2.4 km/l loaded average: diesel at R25.00/l.
Tolls: R1,000 per round trip.
Driver wage package: R22,000/month (incl. benefits, overtime average).
Tyres/maintenance: R2.20/km: Insurance/tracking: R8,000/month.
Vehicle repayment/depreciation: R45,000/month.
Overheads (admin, yard, compliance): R12,000/month allocation.

Calculation per trip:

Fuel: 600 km ÷ 2.4 km/l = 250 l × R25.00 = R6,250
Tolls: R1,000
Tyres/Maintenance: 600 × R2.20 = R1,320

Monthly fixed allocations per trip (22 trips/month):

Driver: R22,000 ÷ 22 = R1,000
Insurance/Tracking: R8,000 ÷ 22 ≈ R364
Repayment/Depreciation: R45,000 ÷ 22 ≈ R2,045
Overheads: R12,000 ÷ 22 ≈ R545

Cost per trip ≈ R6,250 + R1,000 + R1,320 + R1,000 + R364 + R2,045 + R545 = R12,524

Add margin (say 15%): ≈ R1,879

Ex VAT price per trip: ≈ R14,403

Add 15% VAT if applicable: ≈ R16,563

Reality check: Compare with prevailing market rates for similar lanes and with loading/unloading times included. If loading delays are common, add a standby hourly rate after an agreed free period.

Worked Example: Scholar Transport With Daily Schedules

Assumptions:

65‑seater bus, 2 trips/day (AM/PM), 40 km per trip average.
Fuel: 3.0 km/l average: diesel R25.00/l.
Driver package: R18,000/month: Bus repayment/depreciation: R35,000/month.
Insurance/tracking: R6,000/month: Maintenance/tyres: R1.20/km.
School days: 20 per month: Admin/overheads allocation: R8,000/month.

Per day:

Distance: 80 km: Fuel: 80 ÷ 3.0 = 26.7 l × R25 ≈ R667
Maintenance: 80 × R1.20 = R96
Driver: R18,000 ÷ 20 = R900
Repayment: R35,000 ÷ 20 = R1,750
Insurance/tracking: R6,000 ÷ 20 = R300
Overheads: R8,000 ÷ 20 = R400

Total cost/day ≈ R4,113

Add 12% margin ≈ R494

Ex VAT day rate ≈ R4,607 (R230/learner if 20 learners: R71/learner if 65 learners). Adjust based on guaranteed headcount, safety marshals, and standby units.

Bid Preparation: A Step-By-Step Process

Decode The TOR: Scope, Volumes, SLAs, And Compulsory Briefings

Confirm volumes (trips/day, tonnage/week) and variability.
Identify SLAs: On‑time in full (OTIF), temperature bands, proof of delivery windows.
Note compulsory briefing/site visit details and Q&A deadlines.

Compliance Pack: Mandatory Forms, Certified Documents, And Checklists

Prepare a labeled file (physical or digital):

CSD report: SARS TCS PIN: B‑BBEE affidavit/certificate.
Company docs (CIPC, ID copies), COIDA, OHS policy statement.
Vehicle COFs, registration, tracking certificates: driver PDPs and licenses.
Insurance schedules (GIT, fleet), references, and signed SBD/Annexure forms.

Method Statements: Route Plans, Safety, Contingency, And Tracking

Route plan with preferred corridors, toll choices, refueling points, and rest stops.
Risk and contingency: breakdown response times, backup vehicle, subcontractor bench.
Safety: fatigue management, speed governance, incident/claims protocol.
Tracking/visibility: live portal access, geofencing, temperature logs if cold‑chain.

Submission: Formatting, Signatures, Bid Box/Online, And Deadlines

Follow file naming, pagination, and sign where required (blue ink if specified).
Time‑stamp proofs for online submissions. For physical bids, aim to deliver a day early to avoid line delays.
Keep a duplicate of your full pack as submitted.

Quality, B-BBEE, And Functionality Scoring Strategy

Functionality matrix: Mirror the TOR headings in your proposal so evaluators can score quickly.
B‑BBEE: If close between bidders, higher B‑BBEE may tip the award under 80/20 or 90/10. Consider partnerships to optimize points (without fronting).
Pricing narrative: Explain your price structure and the value it buys, tracking access, standby cover, safety systems.

Partnerships, Subcontracting, And B-BBEE Strategy

When To JV Or Subcontract (Capacity, Geography, Specialized Loads)

Capacity: If the TOR needs 10 vehicles and you have 4, partner to close the gap.
Geography: Team with local operators for rural knowledge and faster response.
Specialized: Bring in ADR/reefer specialists for compliance‑heavy segments.

Structuring Teams: Prime, Subbies, And Service-Level Alignment

Define roles in writing: who dispatches, who provides tracking access, who handles claims.
Match SLAs: Same OTIF targets, uniform POD formats, shared incident SOPs.
Pricing clarity: Fix buy‑rates for subbies and agree on diesel escalations.

Optimizing B-BBEE Points Without Fronting Risks

Prefer real, value‑adding partners who actually operate vehicles.
Document management control, skills development, and supplier development initiatives that flow from the contract.
Avoid paper partnerships: evaluators look for operational proof.

References, Track Record, And Pilot Projects

Collect signed reference letters with contactable details.
Offer a short pilot or trial lane to prove performance if your track record is thin.
Keep monthly KPI dashboards (OTIF, incidents, claims ratio) as evidence in future bids.

Post-Award Delivery, SLAs, And Scaling Up

Mobilization: Onboarding, Route Dry-Runs, And Safety Inductions

Within week 1–2: finalize driver rosters, do route dry‑runs, and validate access permits.
Complete client safety inductions and align on POD formats and escalation contacts.
Stage spare tyres, critical spares, and a backup vehicle plan.

Managing SLAs: OTIF, Penalties, Incident Reporting, And KPIs

Track OTIF daily: investigate misses within 24 hours.
Log incidents and near‑misses: share corrective actions monthly.
Review penalties: sometimes a revised plan reduces or waives them if you prove root cause and fix.

Cash Flow And Fuel: Invoicing Cycles, Fuel Cards, And Working Capital

Government and SOEs may pay on 30–60 days: factor this into your working capital.
Use fuel cards with negotiated rebates and geofenced usage.
Consider invoice discounting/trade finance for large awards, better than running on empty and missing SLAs.

Scaling: Adding Fleet, Maintenance Plans, And Regional Expansion

Add vehicles in tranches: don’t overcommit before drivers and maintenance capacity are ready.
Move from reactive to preventive maintenance: track cost per km and replace at optimal life.
Expand regionally by replicating proven SOPs: open micro‑depots or shared yards with partners to reduce dead mileage.

Conclusion

Transport tenders in South Africa reward SMEs that are precise on compliance, disciplined on pricing, and relentless on delivery. Start with lanes that fit your current fleet and certifications, then build references and scale into higher‑value categories like cold‑chain or specialized freight. Use robust cost models, align your B‑BBEE strategy with real partners, and present a clean, evaluator‑friendly bid that mirrors the TOR.

If you’re serious about winning, make your pipeline stronger than your competitors’. Visit eTender SA to find verified tenders, set up targeted alerts, and shortlist opportunities that match your capacity today, so you can grow sustainably tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find verified transport tenders in South Africa?

Most public opportunities appear on the National Treasury eTender portal, provincial portals and weekly bulletins. SOE portals (Transnet, PRASA, SANRAL, ACSA, Eskom) list specialized routes. To cut noise, set filters for “transport tenders South Africa” and use tools like eTender SA for targeted alerts and shortlist tracking.

How are transport tenders evaluated and scored?

Bids pass a compliance gate first (CSD, SARS TCS PIN, B‑BBEE, licenses). Then functionality is scored on methodology, route plans, risk/safety, fleet, tracking, and references—often needing 70%+ to proceed. Final awards weigh Price and B‑BBEE under the 80/20 or 90/10 Preferential Procurement Regulations, sometimes with quality/price trade‑offs.

How should I price a bid for transport tenders South Africa?

Build a per‑km/per‑day model including fuel, tolls, wages, depreciation/finance, maintenance/tyres, insurance, overheads, and margin, then apply VAT if applicable. Use minimum charges for short runs and standby rates for delays. Choose per‑km for stable lanes and per‑load for multi‑stop variability. Benchmark against current market rates.

What documents and licenses are required for compliance?

Keep your CSD profile current and maintain a valid SARS TCS PIN. Provide the correct B‑BBEE affidavit/certificate, COIDA letter, OHS policy, fleet COFs, registrations, tracking certificates, and driver PDPs. Passenger routes need operating licenses/route permits from the Provincial Regulatory Entity; abnormal/HAZCHEM loads require relevant permits and training.

Can a small fleet win transport tenders in South Africa?

Yes. Target regional or rural routes, or niches like refrigerated, ADR/HAZCHEM, secure courier, or medical specimens. Start with 1–3 vehicles on cluster routes, subcontract under large primes (e.g., SANRAL, PRASA, Transnet), and gather references via brokers. Pilot projects and clean, evaluator‑friendly submissions improve win rates for SMEs.