Summary

This is an opportunity to take over a profitable moving and storage company that has served Cape Town households and businesses for over three decades. Services cover the full move: quoting and planning, packing and crating of delicate items, loading and transport, and offloading. The company handles local, regional, long-distance and international relocations, and sells packing materials alongside each job. Its secure, guarded storage warehouse brings in steady recurring income. The company runs on reputation. Most clients are repeat customers or referrals, and paid advertising has been close to nil, so there is plenty of upside for a buyer prepared to market it. Day-to-day jobs are run by experienced, long-serving supervisors, with labour-broker staff brought in as volume requires. The five-truck fleet and the forklifts are fully paid for. Net profit is around R3 million a year, which gives a payback of under two years at the asking price. The premises can be leased by the new owner. Asking price: R4 950 000. Detailed financials are available on signing an NDA.

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Fully describe the business's activities?

This well-established Cape Town removals, packing and storage business provides a complete range of relocation services to households and businesses. It handles local moves across Cape Town and the Western Cape, long-distance relocations, and international moves through its network of shipping partners.

The business is equipped to professionally pack and crate fragile, valuable and specialised items, while also supplying clients with the necessary moving materials. Its fully managed storage service provides an additional recurring revenue stream, with clients’ belongings stored in sealed wooden containers inside a secure warehouse.

How does the business operate on a daily basis?

The office handles incoming enquiries by phone, email and the website, quotes each job and plans the schedule. Crews, each led by a senior supervisor, carry out the packing, loading, transport and offloading. Goods booked into storage are recorded, protected and sealed into containers in the warehouse. Moving materials are sold to clients alongside the move.

What Advertising/Marketing is carried out?

Website, social media and occasional storage promotions. Paid advertising has been minimal — very little was spent on advertising in the last financial year, which leaves clear room to grow.

What competition exists?

Cape Town has a competitive removal market, ranging from national and international removal groups to many smaller local operators. They compete mainly on service, reliability and careful handling rather than on lowest price.

How could the profitability of the business be improved?

A new owner could (1) invest in marketing — current paid advertising is negligible; (2) grow storage occupancy and long-term storage contracts; (3) push packing-material sales, which already form a meaningful income stream; (4) grow office/commercial relocations and long-distance work.

Give a breakdown of staff/ functions/ length of service?

The team includes office and administrative personnel responsible for quotations, client communication and storage administration, as well as foremen and supervisors who lead each moving crew, supported by experienced movers and packers. Each permanent staff member brings more than 30 years of industry experience, while the broader supervisory team is long-serving, with an average tenure of well over a decade.

Do any have management potential?

Yes — the long-serving supervisors and office staff run jobs and client communication with a high degree of independence.

How involved is the Owner in running the business?

The owner is actively involved.

When does the current lease end?

The business operates from a secured industrial property in Cape Town owned by a related party of the sellers. The property is excluded from the sale; a new lease would be concluded with the buyer.

What are the trading hours?

Normal operating hours are from 07:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, with flexibility according to client and operational requirements.

What are the main assets of the business?

The business operates a fleet of five removal vehicles, comprising four enclosed-body trucks ranging from 5 to 8 tons and a 2-ton light truck with a canopy. One truck is fitted with a hydraulic tail lift, while another carries a forklift. Additional assets include a separate forklift, over 350 large wooden storage containers, office and computer equipment, and packing-material stock.

Strengths?

More than 30 years of trading
Large base of repeat and referral clients
Strong reputation
Long-serving
Experienced supervisors
Diversified income from removals, storage and packing materials
Recurring storage income
Secure, fully guarded and monitored storage facility
Vehicles owned outright with no finance.

Weaknesses?

Fleet is older and fully written off in the books; operations depend on premises owned by the sellers (new lease required); know-how concentrated in the owners and long-serving supervisors; financial statements are compiled rather than audited and the business is split across two entities.

Opportunities?

Structured marketing (current spend is negligible); growth in long-term and corporate storage; expansion of office/commercial relocations and long-distance work; growing packing-materials sales; fleet renewal to lift efficiency.

Threats?

Price competition from national groups and small operators; fuel and vehicle-maintenance cost increases; sensitivity of household moves to the property market and economy.