case study
Brunel's pharmaceutical logistics
Delivering the right medicine, at the right time
Summary
DSV partnered with Brunel Labortoria (Pty) Ltd in 2026 to stabilise their pharmaceutical last-mile delivery, restore shipment visibility and strengthen temperature-controlled compliance.
Customer commitment and regulatory compliance had always been central to Brunel's strategy, but the Centurion-based pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor was experiencing operational issues caused by missing parcels, poor tracking and tracing capabilities, delays in invoice and reconciliation and growing customer concerns.
DSV introduced improved tracking and traceability processes, implemented multi-leg cross-dock distribution operations and developed a structured temperature-controlled compliance framework aligned with South African regulatory requirements.
The new approach restored operational consistency, improved last-mile pharmaceutical delivery reliability, strengthened compliance readiness and positioned Brunel for scalable long-term growth.
Key facts
Category | Details |
|---|---|
Customer | Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd |
Industry | Pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution |
Location | Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa |
Core challenges | Missing parcels, failed tracking and traceability, invoice reconciliation delays, compliance pressure, inconsistent last-mile delivery |
Key solutions | Distribution redesign, tracking recovery, temperature-controlled compliance framework, cross-dock optimisation, SOP and quality control implementation |
Regulatory context | Regulatory compliance, pharmaceutical stability requirements, temperature-controlled distribution standards |
The challenge
Brunel's pharmaceutical distribution operations came under pressure when its previous logistics model failed to deliver the visibility, reliability and compliance standards needed, and challenges included:
- Missing parcels and failed shipment visibility
- No effective tracking and traceability capability
- Increased customer concerns around delivery reliability
- Significant delays in invoice reconciliation
- Credit notes issued on nearly 30% of invoices
- Approximately three months required to reconcile accounts accurately
- Limited ability to validate temperature compliance during distribution
- Increased pressure to align with regulatory requirements
The challenge directly impacted customer confidence, operational efficiency and regulatory readiness. And importantly, as Brunel CFO Juanita Grimbeek pointed out, customers ultimately experienced the final delivery as the Brunel brand, and this meant last-mile reliability and regulatory compliance had become business-critical priorities. "Together, they reinforce our commitment to our customers: experience you can trust, delivery you can count on."
The solution
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DSV stabilised Brunel's distribution operations during the transition period by:
- Assisting with parcel recovery and operational troubleshooting
- Introducing improved shipment visibility processes
- Re-establishing tracking and traceability capabilities
- Helping to restore delivery consistency
- Improving communication and operation coordination
Customer confidence was rebuilt through predictable and dependable pharmaceutical deliveries.
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Looking forward, DSV is supporting Brunel's ten-year programme to ensure pharmaceutical products remain within the required 15°C to 25°C temperature range throughout distribution, including deliveries to remote and rural locations. This initiative includes:
- Temperature monitoring across the delivery journey
- Regulatory data validation processes
- Compliance documentation preparation
- Independent verification requirements
- Alignment with regulatory expectations
- Controlled handling procedures for pharmaceutical products
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The distribution process required a multi-leg logistics network involving product movement from Brunel to a DSV cross-dock facility; transfer to a secondary cross-dock; and final last-mile delivery to pharmacies and healthcare customers.
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Structured governance and quality control measures to support operational consistency and regulatory alignment were introduced, and DSV's operational and quality teams worked closely with Brunel to establish a more resilient and compliant pharmaceutical distribution framework. Measures included:
- Development of detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Ongoing audit and compliance management
- Change management support
- Quality control oversight
- Data collection and logging processes
- Regulatory process documentation
The result
While the strengthening partnership's early success was built on long-standing professional relationships, its future is firmly focused on operational excellence and growing ambition. Flawless last-mile delivery and strict adherence to temperature-controlled regulatory requirements now underpin Brunel's pharmaceutical licence and ongoing growth.
It's a partnership which has created a stronger operational platform for Brunel's continued expansion through measurable improvements, and highlights include:
- Restored shipment tracking and traceability
- Improved visibility across the distribution process
- Stabilised pharmaceutical last-mile delivery performance
- Strengthened customer confidence and service reliability
- Reduced operational disruption and reconciliation delays
- Enhanced regulatory compliance readiness
- Improved temperature-control governance capability
- Enabled scalable national pharmaceutical distribution
- Established a long-term framework for regulatory-aligned compliance
About Brunel Laboratoria
Brunel Laboratoria (Pty) Ltd was founded in 1974 by Dawie de Bruin and Louis Nel in Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa, and today holds licences to manufacture and distribute pharmaceuticals and medical devices in South Africa.
Key milestones include:
- 1974: Company established with third-party sales services
- 1974: Launch of Lotio Brunel hand and body lotion
- 1986: Expansion into larger premises and pharmaceutical distribution licensing
- 2010: Strategic growth investment from Calibre Capital
- 2022: Investment by RMB Corvest, Umoya Capital Partners and senior management
- 2024: Michiel Venter appointed CEO, new products added to Brunel's basket of goods
Brunel has a hybrid wholesale and direct-delivery model, and currently operates:
- A custom-built temperature-controlled distribution centre in Centurion
- Distribution services for more than 2,200 active customers
- A portfolio of 100+ pharmaceutical and personal care products and brands, either owned or managed
- National distribution across pharmacies and healthcare outlets
- Supply relationships with both wholesalers and independent pharmacies
- Retail distribution through Shoprite, Pick 'n Pay and cash-and-carry channels
Future focus
With a ten-year plan to meet regulatory requirements, a stable and innovative distribution partnership, capital investment and growing basket of products, the future is full of opportunity for Brunel, and the partnership with DSV.
There will be many outcomes flowing from the compliance plan, and they include:
- Temperature-control compliance at between 15-25 degrees
- End-to-end temperature monitoring capability
- Independent validation of pharmaceutical stability data
- Expanded regulatory reporting capability
- Alignment with evolving regulatory compliance requirements
- Scalable national healthcare distribution infrastructure
Despite the successes so far, both DSV and Brunel know there will be challenges. "But we own the challenge, and we fix them. And we work with Brunel to do that", Candice Liebenberg, Director, Sales, Sub-Sahara Cluster, Road MEA, said. "It is this shared commitment to success that guides the DSV-Brunel partnership".