Cold Chain

Unbroken. From load to delivery.

Cold chain is the discipline everything else depends on — there is no “mostly cold”: the chain holds or it fails, and failure shows up as spoiled product, rejected loads and, in healthcare, real harm. Wyvern runs cold chain as a controlled, monitored, documented system from loading to delivery — not a refrigerated truck and a hope. Our Afrit reefer fleet runs +25°C down to -25°C. Select a sector to see what we move cold.

Vaccines, blood and blood products, ARVs, biologics, lab samples and controlled medicines — moved under validated, qualified cold chain.

Band & standard
+2 to +8°C (chilled)WHO GDPMCAZ

Fresh flowers, vegetables, citrus, avocados and berries — held in band to clear the market and meet export grade.

Band & standard
+2 to +8°CHACCP

Fresh and frozen meat, poultry, fish, dairy, processed and ready foods — across the chilled and frozen bands.

Band & standard
-25 to +8°CHACCP

Chilled juices, dairy drinks and temperature-sensitive beverage lines — kept in band from plant to shelf.

Band & standard
+2 to +8°CHACCP

Chocolate, confectionery and any product with a tight thermal window — held in controlled cool to avoid bloom, melt or freeze.

Band & standard
+12 to +18°C (controlled)
Every cold-chain load runs on continuous temperature logging with a downloadable record and an excursion report on any breach. Reefers pre-cool a minimum of 2 hours before loading, every time.
The temperature bands we run
Deep frozen -25 to -18°CFrozen -18 to -12°CChilled +2 to +8°CCool / fresh +8 to +15°CControlled ambient +15 to +25°CDual & tri-temp (mixed loads)
Inbound — into Zimbabwe
Temperature-controlled imports
CargoRouteTempStandard
Cargo
Vaccines & biologics
Route
JHB / air → Beitbridge/RGM → NatPharm
Temp+2 to +8°C
StandardWHO GDP
Cargo
Frozen foods & meat
Route
JHB → Beitbridge → DC
Temp-18 to -22°C
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Chilled dairy & processed
Route
JHB → Beitbridge → DC
Temp+2 to +8°C
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Pharma (general cold)
Route
JHB → Beitbridge → NatPharm/wholesale
Temp+2 to +8°C
StandardWHO GDP
Outbound — out of Zimbabwe
Export to market & port
CargoRouteTempStandard
Cargo
Fresh citrus & vegetables
Route
Mash./Manicaland → Beitbridge → JHB market
Temp+4 to +8°C
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Fresh cut flowers
Route
Harare farms → RGM Airport / JHB
Temp+2 to +5°C
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Avocados & berries
Route
Manicaland → Beitbridge → JHB
Temp+4 to +8°C
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Chilled beef
Route
Bulawayo abattoir → Beitbridge → JHB
Temp+2 to +4°C
StandardHACCP
Domestic — within Zimbabwe
Plant, clinic, packhouse & retail
CargoRouteTempStandard
Cargo
NatPharm to clinics (vaccines)
Route
central → province → clinic
Temp+2 to +8°C
StandardWHO GDP · cold box
Cargo
Blood — bank to hospital
Route
NBSZ → hospitals
Temp+2 to +6°C
Standardurgent
Cargo
Fresh produce farm to packhouse
Route
farm → packhouse → airport
Tempchilled
StandardHACCP
Cargo
Dairy & chilled retail
Route
plant → DC → store
Temp+2 to +8°C
StandardHACCP
The reefer fleet (Afrit)
Reefer Trailer
Reefer Trailer
Payload24,000–27,000 kg
Range+25 to -25°C · 33 Euro pallets
Deep-Freeze
Deep-Freeze Trailer
Range-18 to -25°C sustained
UseFrozen plasma, biologics & frozen food
Dual / Tri-Temp
Dual / Tri-Temp Trailer
UsePartitioned compartments
RunsDifferent bands simultaneously
Reefer Van
Reefer Van
UseChilled provincial & last-mile
ToStores, clinics & packhouses
4×4 Cold Box
4×4 Cold Box
UseFinal leg to rural clinics & sites
FittedInsulated & temperature-monitored
The Wyvern cold-chain protocol

Load & set

  • Pre-cool — reefer brought to set-point a minimum of 2 hours before loading; box temperature verified before product enters
  • Load fast, load right — minimised door-open time; product stacked for airflow, never blocking the evaporator or floor channels
  • Set & lock — temperature band set and locked to the consignment’s requirement; the driver cannot override
  • Continuous logging — IoT logger records temperature throughout, time-stamped and downloadable as a complete record per load

Monitor & hand over

  • Live monitoring — readings monitored remotely; alerts on any drift toward the threshold so we act before a breach, not after
  • Excursion protocol — on a breach, an automatic excursion report is generated and the consignee notified; contingency (backup unit, re-icing, re-routing) actioned immediately
  • Cold handover — at delivery, temperature verified and logged at the door; signed/digital POD with the temperature record attached
Compliance & failure prevention

Compliance & accreditation

  • WHO GDP — Good Distribution Practice for pharmaceuticals: validated, qualified cold chain with documented control end to end
  • HACCP — food-safety discipline for all perishable food and produce
  • MCAZ — controlled-substance handling for regulated medicines moving cold
  • Documented record — every cold load delivers with a downloadable temperature log; nothing is “trust us”, everything is evidenced
  • Altitude derating — output adjusted for high-altitude destinations (JHB, Lusaka, Lubumbashi)

Why it fails elsewhere — and how we prevent it

  • No pre-cool → product into a warm box. We pre-cool 2 hours, verified.
  • Long door-open at loading → temperature lost before departure. We load fast with disciplined door management.
  • No monitoring → breach found only at delivery. We monitor live and alert on drift.
  • No record → disputes and rejected loads. We deliver a downloadable log every time.
  • Breakdown with no plan → the whole load spoils. We run backup units, contingency routing and a clear escalation protocol.

AccreditationsAudited · Certified · Compliant

Independently audited and certified to the standards that move regulated agricultural freight across borders — from feed safety to road transport management.

AFMASAFE FEED FOR SAFE FOODAnimal Feed Manufacturers Association
ISO
SQASSafety and Quality Assessmentfor Sustainability
Road Transport Management SystemRTMSDriver Wellness · Safety · Loading · Productivity

Ready to move your harvest with Zimbabwe’s most precise freight partner? Contact us today.