Cargo visibility gives forwarders the edge

Visibility in the supply chain is a crucial component of cargo management along African corridors. According to Michael Henning, general manager at Easy Clear, it is essential to develop African solutions for African challenges, given the continent’s unique conditions and complexities.

“Visibility has always been a priority, but in Africa it is essential,” he told Freight News. “Both consignee and consignor benefit from tracking and monitoring, but it is the clearing and forwarding agent who gains the most from full cargo visibility. By having up-to-date information on shipments moving along the North-South Corridor and across the continent, agents can proactively manage the movement of goods, keep clients informed, and reduce costs by minimising standing or transit times. “According to Henning, Easy Clear has dedicated a lot of effort to developing solutions that enhance visibility.

“We’re also noticing a strong trend towards the digitisation of logistics across Africa, particularly within the road freight sector, where companies are moving away from traditional, manual fleet management toward modern technology.” Henning said that as Africa undergoes rapid development, these advancements were essential, enabling countries to leapfrog forward and achieve accelerated growth.

Significant infrastructure investment from both China and the US/EU in the east and west corridors, along with associated ports, is boosting rail development in these regions. However, the opening of these corridors poses a competitive risk to South African ports, which are already under pressure from the emerging trade hubs of Maputo and Walvis Bay.

“These corridors not only challenge South African trade routes but also present a valuable opportunity for African clearing and forwarding agents to access international markets more quickly and at a lower cost,” said Henning. Asked about challenges, he said there had been some disruptions in cargo moving to Mozambique and through the Port of Maputo due to ongoing political tension in the country after the elections.

“Port authorities and relevant parties are working hard to minimise disruptions and maintain traffic flow,” he said. Henning added, however, that the biggest obstacle was no longer technology adoption or infrastructure deployment. “The greatest challenge lies in the pervasive corruption within some ports. There is an urgent need for reform to safeguard South Africa’s market share in bulk exports through the ports of Richards Bay and Durban. “He said improvement in South Africa’s rail and port infrastructure would impact positively on logistics across the region.

“We are, however, seeing some very interesting developments in the rest of the region. Oil and gas discoveries off the coast of Namibia hold opportunity, while the connectivity on the east and west corridors is bringing more opportunity.”