Airport Industria, Airport City, the Airport Precinct and King Air Industria form an established industrial cluster around Cape Town International Airport. This guide helps logistics, warehousing and manufacturing occupiers choose between them, know what to look for in a building, understand the costs and see how a lease gets done.
Why logistics and warehousing companies choose the airport area
Speed to the airport, the N2 and the port is the main reason. Goods that move by air, road and sea can all be handled from one cluster of buildings.
- Air freight access. King Air Industria is 3 km from the airport’s freight terminal, and Airport City sits between the airport and the N2.
- Road and port links. The area lies in the central industrial corridor bounded by the N1, N2, M5 and R300. King Air Industria is 15 minutes from Table Bay Harbour.
- Established security. A City Improvement District has significantly improved security in Airport Industria, and many buildings add 24-hour security or electric fencing.
- Labour and access. Airport Industria has good access to labour and the N2. King Air Industria is within walking distance of My City bus feeder routes.
- Proven occupiers. Airport Industria tenants include Milcor, Tacoma Foods, Titan Cargo and Stefanutti Stocks. The Airport Precinct houses Massmart, Bidvest, DHL and Pick n Pay. Airport City hosts JD Group, Case, Volvo, Dasher and Distriliq.
The four airport nodes compared
The right node usually comes down to the size of space you need, how fast you need it and whether you want to own or lease.
| Node | Setting | Tenure | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Industria | Two areas divided by the airport approach road. The northern section was the first industrial area established here. Several established industrial parks. | Units can be bought or leased | The widest range of existing units, from about 200 m² to over 3,000 m² |
| Airport City | Between the airport and the N2. Modern warehouse buildings and strong security. | Units can be bought or leased | Airport-linked operators such as car hire and couriers |
| Airport Precinct | At Cape Town International Airport, including CTX Business Park, a logistics and freight park. | Leasehold only. The land is owned by ACSA and is never sold. | Large logistics and distribution operators that want to be at the airport |
| King Air Industria | A 70-hectare secure, landscaped estate on the former King David Golf Course. Two access points. | Leased space, with turnkey buildings from the developer | Large logistics, warehousing and distribution users (current listings start at 3,400 m²) |
At King Air Industria, new turnkey buildings can be delivered within 12 months of lease signature, and the estate has about 280,000 m² of rentable area available for development. Browse the industrial parks across these nodes to see where individual buildings sit.
What to look for in a logistics warehouse
Check these eight specifications before you shortlist a building. Together they decide how efficiently the space will run.
| Specification | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Clear height | Sets how high you can rack | Height under the beams and lights, not just to the eaves. Our listings group roof heights as 5–6 m, 6–8 m, 8–10 m and over 10 m. |
| Loading doors | Controls throughput | Dock-level, ground-level or container-height doors, the number of doors and whether there are dock levellers |
| Truck access and yard | Decides how trucks turn and queue | Interlink truck access, turning circle, and whether the yard is private or shared |
| Power supply | Drives automation, cold rooms and charging | Installed capacity in kVA, three-phase supply, and any generator or solar PV and battery backup |
| Floor | Sets racking and forklift loads | Floor loading capacity and flatness, especially for high-bay racking or automation |
| Fire protection | Affects insurance and racking layouts | Sprinklers, and compliance for the goods you will store |
| Security | Protects stock and vehicles | 24-hour security, access control, electric fencing and Improvement District coverage |
| Offices and ablutions | Supports staff and admin | Office size, mezzanine space, air conditioning and ablution facilities |
You can filter our property search by features such as container-height doors, dock levellers, interlink truck access, fire sprinklers and three-phase power.
What industrial space costs
Asking rents in the area range from about R85 to R120 per m² per month. Most of our listings sit between R90 and R110, and rents at King Air Industria are on application. Treat these as indicative asking rents, not concluded deals, and confirm them against the building you are considering. See the Airport Property Barometer for how asking and signed rents have moved.
Budget for more than the basic rent:
- Rent basis. Rent is quoted per m² per month, excluding VAT, on a net basis.
- Municipal rates and taxes. Usually recovered from the tenant.
- Utilities and insurance. You pay for electricity and water, and insure your own contents.
- Park levies. These apply where the building is part of a park.
- Annual escalation. Leases normally escalate at a fixed percentage, typically 7–8%.
- Deposit or bank guarantee. Usually two months’ rental.
- Lease term. Most industrial leases run 3 to 5 years. Longer terms can win better rentals, rent-free periods or landlord contributions to improvements, and short-term rentals are charged at a premium.
Lease, buy or build
Most occupiers lease first, but the area also supports buying and building. Which route fits depends on your capital, your timeline and how specialised your building needs to be.
- Lease an existing building. The quickest route, and the right one for most logistics operators. See our industrial property leasing service.
- Buy as an owner-occupier. Own your building and stop paying rent. See our guide to buying industrial property, owner-occupier sales and the purchase checklist.
- Buy as an investor. Acquire a let building and its income. See investment sales.
- Sell and lease back. An owner-occupier sells the building to release capital and stays on as the tenant. See sales and leaseback.
- Build to suit. A turnkey development is designed and built to your specification. See turnkey developments and vacant industrial land. At King Air Industria, new turnkey buildings can be delivered within 12 months of lease signature.
The Airport Precinct is the exception. Its land belongs to ACSA and is only ever leased, so buying is not an option there.
How a lease gets done
For a suitable, vacant building a deal can be concluded in a few weeks. Larger fit-outs, alterations or lease negotiations take longer, so start your search 3 to 6 months before you need to move.
- Brief. Send us your floor area, clear height, loading doors, yard, power and budget, and the date you need to be in.
- Shortlist and viewings. We match your brief against current vacancies and what is coming to market, then arrange viewings.
- Offer to lease. We negotiate rental, term, escalation, deposit and any landlord contributions.
- Credit checks. The landlord assesses the tenant before the lease is signed.
- Lease agreement. We help conclude a professional agreement of lease.
- Tenant installation. We support the move-in, including racking, alterations and security upgrades the lease permits.
Existing tenants can ask for a free market rental appraisal, and we can add your lease to our expiry database so you are notified six months before it ends. Use our industrial property leasing checklist to plan each step.
Before you sign
Settle these points in the offer to lease, while you still have room to negotiate.
- Zoning and consent use. Zoning, consent uses and fire-department requirements differ by property and by the goods you handle. Tell us early if you store hazardous, flammable or food products.
- Alterations. Racking, mezzanine floors, extra offices, roller shutter doors and security upgrades need the landlord’s consent. Agree who pays and who owns them.
- Reinstatement. Check whether you must return the building to its original condition when the lease ends.
- Backup power. Confirm installed capacity in kVA and whether a generator, solar PV or battery system is in place or can be added.
- Shared yards and access. Where the yard is shared, check truck access, parking and security arrangements.
- Escalation, deposit and renewal. Confirm the escalation percentage, the deposit or guarantee and any option to renew.
Our industrial property FAQs answer more of these questions in plain language.
Beyond the airport nodes
If the airport area does not fit, the wider central industrial corridor bounded by the N1, N2, M5 and R300 offers alternatives. We also work in Epping, Parow, Maitland and Ndabeni and Bellville, and we cover Montague Gardens, Brackenfell, Brackengate, Killarney Gardens, Rivergate and Richmond Park through our broker referral network. See all airport industrial areas in one place.
Next steps
Send us a short brief: the size you need, your preferred node, clear height, loading doors, power, your timeline and your budget. We will come back with suitable options, arrange viewings and handle the negotiation through to signing.
We have over 38 years of experience in industrial property sales and leasing around Cape Town International Airport. See current warehouses to rent, read our completed deals, or contact Guy de la Porte on 021 380 1111. Our office is at 3 Concorde Crescent, Airport City, Cape Town 7490.
