contain.co.za

01

What is a shipping container?

A shipping container is a standardised steel box designed to be moved by ship, rail or road without the goods inside needing to be unpacked and repacked at each stage. The standardisation of sizes and fittings is what makes containers so useful: a crane, truck or ship designed to handle one container can usually handle any other of the same class, anywhere in the world.

Containers are built to withstand stacking, rough handling and exposure to weather and salt air over long voyages. This durability is one reason they are so often reused once their shipping life is over, whether as storage units, site offices or the structural basis of a building.

02

Why containers are used beyond shipping

In South Africa, containers are repurposed for a wide range of practical reasons:

• Storage. Businesses and households use containers to store stock, tools, equipment or household goods, particularly where a permanent structure is not needed or not yet affordable.
• Site offices and security rooms. Construction and mining sites often use converted containers as temporary offices, ablution blocks or guard rooms because they can be delivered ready made and moved again later.
• Retail and hospitality. Converted containers are used as kiosks, pop up shops, coffee outlets and small restaurants, especially where a project needs a visible structure without the cost of permanent construction.
• Housing and accommodation. Container homes and container based accommodation units have grown in popularity as an alternative to conventional building methods, particularly for smaller dwellings, granny flats or temporary housing.
• Agriculture. Farms use containers for secure storage of feed, chemicals, tools and harvested produce, as well as for cold storage conversions.

03

How containers are classified

Containers are generally described by their length, height and condition. The most common lengths are six metres and twelve metres, often referred to by their approximate imperial equivalents. Height variations include standard height units and taller units with additional internal headroom. Condition is usually described on a scale from new or one trip, meaning it has made a single journey from the factory, through to used grades that reflect varying degrees of wear, rust and dents.

Specialised container types also exist, including refrigerated units for temperature controlled goods, open top units for oversized cargo, and units with side opening doors that make them easier to convert into usable space. Understanding these distinctions matters because the right container for a wine cellar conversion is not necessarily the right one for bulk storage of building materials.

04

Buying versus renting

Many people assume buying is always cheaper in the long run, but the right choice depends on how long the container will be needed, whether it will be modified, and what condition is acceptable. Renting can suit short term projects such as construction sites or events, while buying tends to suit long term storage, permanent conversions or situations where the container will be moved between locations over several years. Later pages on this site go into more detail on both the practical buying considerations and the process of converting a container once it has been acquired.

05

Transport and site access

One detail that is often underestimated is how a container actually gets from the supplier to its final location. Containers are heavy, and delivery usually requires a truck with a tilt bed, hiab crane or similar equipment, along with enough clear space to manoeuvre on site. Narrow driveways, overhead power lines, soft ground and steep access roads can all complicate delivery, so it is worth thinking through site access before a container is ordered rather than after it arrives.

06

What this site covers

The following pages go into more depth on two areas that come up again and again when people start researching containers in South Africa: what to look for when buying or renting one, and how containers are converted into usable structures such as offices, homes and shops. The aim throughout is to give clear, practical information rather than to promote any particular supplier or service.