DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Justin Cheong as Head of Air Freight in South Africa. He will be based in Johannesburg and will lead the company’s air freight strategy, commercial growth, and operational excellence across the country.
Justin brings extensive international experience in air freight management and business development across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. His appointment reinforces DHL Global Forwarding’s commitment to strengthening trade connectivity between South Africa, Greater China, and the global markets.
Before joining DHL Global Forwarding, Justin served as Country Head of Air Freight at Scan Global Logistics in Taiwan, where he led strategic air freight projects in special cargo segments such as aviation, automotive, and the e-commerce verticals, as well as the transshipment via Taipei initiatives connecting Asia to the Eastern Europe markets.
He has previously held senior management positions with DB Schenker Indonesia, dnata Singapore, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines Cargo, and Etihad Cargo. His background spans export and import operations, key account management, gateway optimisation and cross-regional capacity planning.
Shabnum Dawood, Country Manager of DHL Global Forwarding South Africa, said, “Justin joins us at a time when demand for seamless air freight between Africa and Asia continues to grow. His knowledge of Asian trade corridors and experience across dynamic markets will help us expand our regional capabilities. We’re looking forward to working with him to strengthen South Africa’s role as a gateway, supporting our customers with agile, sustainable, and digitally enabled logistics solutions.”
Justin Cheong, newly appointed Head of Air Freight South Africa, added: “I’m delighted to join DHL Global Forwarding at such an exciting time for air freight in Africa. Working with our talented teams and partners, I’ll focus on driving innovation, building stronger connections with Asia, and delivering the trusted reliability that our customers expect from DHL. Together, we’ll continue to make global trade simpler and more efficient.”
DHL Global Forwarding continues to expand its presence across sub-Saharan Africa through strategic investments in digitalization, sustainable transport solutions, and partnerships that promote intra-African and intercontinental trade.
In South Africa, the company serves all major metropolitan and port cities with comprehensive air, ocean and road freight services. Solutions extend across key industries, including energy, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, automotive, and retail, supported by specialised Industrial Projects capabilities for large-scale, complex movements and Customs Services that simplify cross-border trade and compliance for customers.
