As e-commerce, regional trade and demand for cold storage and agri-warehousing are reshaping supply chains, warehouses are under greater pressure to move more goods through increasingly constrained footprints. 

For material-handling equipment providers, this is seeing a shift towards equipment that meets higher-density storage needs, greater equipment capability and technologies designed around safety, energy efficiency and uptime.

Stephen Mostert, National Technical Manager of CFAO Equipment, says one of the clearest changes is the move upwards. “Where older warehouses typically accommodated racking of around 10 to 13 metres, modern facilities are increasingly being designed for greater vertical storage, with a recent enquiry by one of our regional customers for a reach truck capable of stacking pallets to 14 metres plus illustrating this trend.” 

Higher racking allows operators to increase storage density without expanding the warehouse footprint, but it also creates new engineering and safety requirements.

“At greater heights, precision becomes critical,” says Mostert. “Fork-mounted camera systems can give operators a clear view of fork positioning from the cab, reducing the risk of damaging pallets or products. Mast-stabilisation technology can also minimise sway when handling heavy loads at height, while truck control systems can prevent an overloaded mast from lifting. 

“In agri-warehousing, where products such as fruit can be particularly vulnerable to damage, technologies such as fork dampening shock-absorption systems can further protect loads,” he adds.

E-commerce has created another layer of complexity. “High-volume operations require rapid movement and picking, with automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robotic systems increasingly working alongside conventional material-handling equipment. In the South African market, full automation is likely to develop over time, but the direction is clear: warehouses are looking for ways to increase throughput while making better use of both space and labour,” notes Mostert.

Equipment selection therefore cannot be separated from warehouse design. Equipment suppliers need to understand throughput, storage profiles, aisle widths, picking requirements and the movement of goods from inbound receiving through storage and outbound dispatch. A high-density facility with limited floor space might benefit from shuttle-based storage, while a warehouse with sufficient aisle space could use reach trucks for high-level storage and dedicated order-picking equipment at lower levels. The objective is to match each task with the most appropriate machine rather than expecting one truck to perform every function.

Total cost of ownership is an increasingly important part of that calculation, for example, using a higher-cost reach truck for tasks that could be handled by a less expensive order picker can unnecessarily increase capital and maintenance costs. A detailed operational audit can help determine the right balance between equipment numbers, utilisation, maintenance requirements and throughput.

Energy efficiency is also influencing equipment choices and lithium-ion batteries have all but replaced lead-acid technology because they require less maintenance, produce zero direct emissions and can be opportunity-charged during breaks or other downtime. 

Mostert says although their initial capital cost can be significantly higher, their longer service life can improve the overall economics of the equipment. “Hydrogen remains a developing option in South Africa, but infrastructure and supply constraints mean lithium-ion is currently the more viable solution for the foreseeable future.”

Finally, ongoing equipment performance depends on what happens after the purchase has been concluded. Scheduled and predictive maintenance can reduce unplanned downtime, while appropriate spare-parts holding and rapid technical response are essential to maintaining high levels of availability. In demanding warehouse environments, aftermarket support is therefore not an add-on; it is part of the equipment specification itself.

“The wider trend is towards continual improvement: higher lifting capacity, longer operating periods, safer handling, better visibility and smarter diagnostics. As warehouses become denser and more technologically advanced, the winning equipment strategy will be one that connects machine capability with the design, economics and operational demands of the facility,” concludes Mostert.