The South African express/ courier market is gradually improving after taking a severe beating in the recession. According to South African Airways (SAA) Cargo’s Auriel Newman, executive manager: key accounts and customer services, the recovery in the market is still very slow, but it is happening. “We experienced a decline in demand during the recession as clients opted for cheaper options and sacrificed the timesensitivity of their goods. The recovery has been slow but stable.” Africa, in particular, she says is seeing an improvement in demand – a sign that the tide has turned. SAA Cargo, recently named the Best African Cargo Airline for 2011 for the fourth consecutive year at the Air Cargo News (ACN) Awards Ceremony, believes that prioritising customer needs is the way forward. “Courier material by nature is a highly timesensitive product and demands a higher yield than other cargo,” says Newman. “Over the years the product has suffered yield erosion and the charges are now almost on par with general rates on routes where there is excessive airfreight capacity.” She says carriers into Africa are developing their courier products, allowing for the continent to now offer competitive services for the courier market into high-demand routes. “Similarly SAA Cargo is developing its regional courier product and we are trialling a few regional stations at the moment, with a view to launching the product throughout the region soon.”
