Kweli Load Exchange for Freight Brokers

Find capacity on lanes you do not already know, check an operator’s record before you book them, and build a broker record of your own. Kweli is a free load exchange for SADC cross-border freight — and we are building for brokers on purpose.

The Problem You Face

Freight brokerage in Southern Africa comes with four problems that have nothing to do with how good you are at the job:

• Your network is your ceiling. You can only offer the capacity you personally know. When a lane runs tight, you cannot fill the load fast enough — not because the trucks are not out there, but because you cannot see them.
• A new carrier is a blind risk. You have no way to check whether an operator does what they say beyond asking around, and the people you ask have the same problem you do.
• The work is manual. Phone calls, one-to-one WhatsApp messages, spreadsheets. Every load is rebuilt from scratch.
• Every corridor is a separate network. Durban–Harare operators are not Joburg–Lusaka operators. Growing across corridors has meant starting the address book again each time.

How Kweli Helps Brokers

• Capacity beyond your contact list. Post a load to the corridor and it reaches operators running that lane — including ones you have never dealt with.
• See the record before you book. Every operator has a Webcard: the deals they have completed, how counterparties rated them, their trucks, their corridors. Kweli does not certify anyone — it shows you what happened and you decide.
• Build a record of your own. Your broker Webcard carries the same thing in the other direction: what you have posted, what you settled, how operators and shippers rated you. Reputation that travels, instead of reputation trapped in the heads of the people you already work with.
• One platform, every corridor. Durban–Harare, Joburg–Lusaka, Beira and the rest sit on one exchange, so growing a lane does not mean rebuilding a network.
• No commission, no platform fee. Kweli takes nothing from your margin. What you negotiate is what you keep.

What We Are Building for Brokers

Everything above works today on the load exchange. Beyond it, we are building a set of tools specifically for brokers — because a broker’s job is not an operator’s job wearing a different hat, and treating it as one is why most load boards serve brokers badly.

• Posting on behalf of a named client, with the poster and the cargo owner recorded separately
• A broker record built from the things that actually matter to the people on either side of you: did the load exist, was the rate honoured, was the operator paid when you said
• Managing several live loads across corridors in one place rather than one thread each

This is in build, not shipped. If you broker freight in SADC and want a say in what it becomes, join the exchange and tell us — the brokers using it now are shaping it.

Who Uses Kweli for Brokerage

• Independent freight brokers matching loads to carriers across SADC borders
• Clearing and forwarding agents who also arrange transport for their import and export clients
• Logistics coordinators at trading companies who manage transport procurement
• Growing brokerages expanding their carrier networks into new SADC markets

Grow Your Brokerage with Kweli

Purpose-built for honest, hard-working brokers. Post to the operators running your lane, and let the work you have already done speak for you.

Related Resources

• Transport brokers vs load boards — what each one is for
• How freight brokers move loads in Southern Africa
• Truck load brokers in South Africa: how the market works
• The documents a cross-border load needs
• SADC transport rates: how to build a defensible number
• The SADC corridors, lane by lane

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a freight broker in South Africa?

A freight broker arranges transport between a cargo owner and a truck operator, and is paid for doing it — usually a commission on the freight rate. The broker carries the work of finding capacity, agreeing terms and making sure the load moves. In SADC, brokers are how a large share of cross-border freight gets covered, particularly on lanes where a shipper has no direct relationship with operators.

How much does a freight broker charge in South Africa?

Commission commonly runs 5–15% of the freight rate, so on a R15,000 load that is roughly R750–R2,250. Where a broker sits in that range usually reflects how much work the load takes: a straightforward domestic lane sits at the bottom, a cross-border load needing documents, permits and a border plan sits at the top. Kweli charges no commission and takes nothing from a broker’s margin.

What is the difference between a freight broker and a load board?

They do different jobs and are often used together. A load board is a place where loads and trucks find each other — self-service, no one acting on your behalf. A broker actively works the load: sourcing capacity, negotiating, and standing behind the arrangement. Plenty of brokers use load boards as a sourcing tool, which is exactly how Kweli is designed to be used.

Can freight brokers use Kweli?

Yes, and we are building for them deliberately. Brokers post loads, reach operators running the corridor, and build a broker record from what actually happened on those deals. Load posting records the poster and the cargo owner separately, so a broker is never misrepresented as the cargo owner.

How do I check whether a carrier is reliable?

On Kweli, each operator has a Webcard showing completed deals, ratings from the counterparties on those deals, fleet details and the corridors they run. Kweli does not verify or certify operators — it records what happened and shows it to you, with its basis, so you can make the call yourself. A short record is shown as a short record, never dressed up as a good one.