In the ever-evolving business world, pricing and turnaround times continue to pose challenges for many companies. However, one organisation has taken note of its clients’ feedback, recognising the importance of providing quick turnaround times. Neutral consolidator SACO CFR has recently undergone a strategic team restructuring to meet its clients’ requirements better.Acknowledging the vital role that pricing and turnaround times play in client satisfaction, Debby Gray, SACO CFR airfreight branch manager in Johannesburg, says the company has substantially improved its operations. “We understand that delivering prompt and efficient service is crucial for maintaining strong relationships with our clients,” she told Freight News.“We are also proud of our consistent product development, ensuring it stays at the forefront of industry advancements. We actively engage with our overseas partners on key trade lanes to achieve this. Regular discussions are held to evaluate these lanes and ensure that SACO CFR consistently offers its customers the best in service and rates.”Gray said while it was easy to offer cheap rates in the market to secure business, the company was committed to providing both competitive rates and exceptional service. “We understand that cost-effectiveness alone is insufficient; clients seek reliability and quality. By combining competitive pricing with reliable service, we aim to build long-lasting partnerships with our clients.”The company is actively working on its US trade lane to expand its service portfolio. Additional gateways are being added to accommodate the growing demands of clients and enable them to secure more business opportunities.Asked about trends in the current airfreight environment, she said there was a definite move to less-than-container-loads (LCL) instead of airfreight to save costs. “In addition, where clients tend to move on full-container-load (FCL), they can bring in large amounts of stock, which also impacts the frequency and volumes moved on airfreight,” sa id Gray.During the Covid-19 pandemic, airfreight experienced rapid growth as it gained market share over ocean freight. However, with the global economy recovering and supply chains stabilising, the airfreight industry faces its biggest challenge yet – competing against the resurgent ocean freight sector. “Shipping lines seem to have changed their strategy on pricing, thereby reducing shipping costs by huge margins,” said Gray. “The airfreight sector has yet to see such drastic reductions in rates. This is certainly driving higher sea freight volumes at the moment.”
