There are growing moves across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) towards the use of technology to improve ease of doing business, resulting in the faster movement of cargo.According to Michael Henning, sales manager at Easyclear, there has been a shift across the SADC region and on the continent to a more digital and integrated customs-to-customs (C2C) and business-to-customs (B2C) landscape, with checks and balances to ensure that risk is managed through the sharing of information.“Whilst doing business is not without obstacles, there is real opportunity,” said Henning.Technology has been a growing trend on the continent as the value of these systems becomes evident.“I firmly believe that there are opportunities on the African continent for those with the appetite, faith and endurance, despite the obvious obstacles like congestion, delays and corruption,” said Henning.As a service provider, Easyclear facilitates trade, with its focus on customs clearing and forwarding. “We offer integrated solutions for clients on the continent and particularly in countries making use of the Asyworld clearing solutions,” explained Henning.Considering that delays at ports of entry were still a major challenge on the continent, technology could be used to make a difference, strengthening Africa’s gateways by reducing bottlenecks and improving the f low of cargo, according to Henning.Another challenge, he said, was the exorbitant shipping and freight costs as demand in the air and ocean freight sector continued to exceed supply, resulting in a shortage of containers and freight space. And it’s likely to get worse as we head into the festive season.Henning emphasised that by reducing delays and improving the turnaround of containers, major gains were possible.Commenting on infrastructure investment, Henning said most notable were the developments at Beitbridge Border Post, where the implementation of booking systems and vehicle registration readers have made a significant impact. “These are extremely important developments as they will alleviate the congestion and lengthy queues at this border post and many other borders like this. Whilst the benefits of the introduction of the systems and scanners might not be seen immediately, they will play a role in the long run.”He said IT developments and enhancements being implemented by customs authorities, such as the South African Revenue Service, would also have a massive impact in the long run, reducing risk to the fiscus as they prevented fraud, while facilitating increased trade.
