Independent groupage operator
CFR Freight has hinted at
stronger representation in sub-
Saharan Africa within the next
year.
While the details have yet to be
established, a
representative
office is likely
to be operated
under the banner
of CFR’s global
partners, the
World Wide
Alliance, which
is the single
biggest service
provider to the global freight
forwarding industry, says managing
director Martin Keck. “With all
eyes on Africa, this is a logical and
necessary development for us and
our partners in the World Wide
Alliance,” he told FTW
“Seafreight volumes and
bookings to Africa have been on a
growth trajectory,” said Keck, with
particularly promising volumes
moving to Ghana – so much so
that the company recently doubled
frequency to offer a weekly Tema
service. The rest of the region is well
covered with own consolidations
to Angola, Nigeria, Ghana,
Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.
And according to Keck, it’s a mix
of transhipment and SA-sourced
cargo, with global economic trends
dictating a new trade pattern.
“East Africa transhipment cargo
has almost completely disappeared
because Europe has lost its
dominance to the East,” says Keck.
“Cargo from China and India now
generally goes direct or via Dubai
while South African-originated
cargo is continuously increasing.
There is a complete turnaround for
Zimbabwe- and Zambia-destined
cargo too. A huge amount of cargo
that was previously sourced from
the UK now comes from China.”
West Africa is a different story,
with a lot more
transhipment
cargo originating
from ports all
over the Far East
and the Indian
subcontinent,
according to
Keck. There’s
a lot more
SA-origin cargo
moving to these destinations as
well.
For CFR, its ZacPak depot is
an important part of its value
proposition. “The Customs-licensed
depots, which also provide packing
and unpacking services, are one of
our differentiators. Particularly for
transhipments moving into Africa,
having it all under our control helps
to minimise risks and errors.”
From an airfreight perspective,
Africa remains one of the top
destinations in the company’s
portfolio, says airfreight general
manager Stephen Bishop.
“Our top destination is Lagos,
followed by hubs in Accra, Dar es
Salaam, Nairobi and Harare which
are all big destinations for us,” he
said. “Through volume discounts
with major carriers we’re able
to offer very competitive rates,
and these are being constantly
reviewed.”
Volumes have been good through
a range of commodities, according
to Bishop. “There’s a lot of business
supporting the mining industry
– the likes of spare parts – and
we’re also seeing an increase in the
movement of personal effects for
expats.”
INSERT & CAPTION 1
Africa remains one of the
top destinations in CFR’s
airfreight portfolio.
– Stephen Bishop
INSERT & CAPTION 2
A representative
office is likely
to be operated
under the banner
of CFR’s global
partners, the
World Wide
Alliance.
– Martin Keck
