Business desk demystifies sea versus air dilemma

“THERE IS no need to feel despondent or negative about South Africa,” says Sue Wood, operations director of Cargocare Freight Services. “Airfreight is pumping at the moment due to the interest and exchange rates which are encouraging for imports. The export market is still a bit sad due to the rand strengthening over the past four years, but there is positive sentiment and growth out there as we discover when we talk to our clients. Business confidence is definitely on the increase,” she says. And while the benefits of airfreight in terms of transit time make it the only solution for time-sensitive cargo, there are also dimensional grey areas where the cost of sea and airfreight equals out. This is roughly valid for cargo that weighs between 60 and 70 kg. For seafreight you can pay for a minimum of one ton so where volume is not excessive there may be a weight break area and air may then the better option as you pay the same but have a much quicker turnaround. Airfreight works on a 6:1 ratio for volume to weight to calculate the rate which is based on the higher of the two. While it may sound complicated, Cargocare has a business development desk which assists its clients with the calculations and will recommend the best mode of transport to use based on individual needs and requirements.