Award-winning site pulls in
record readership figures
Philipp Pfeifer . . . quotation
system to be introduced.
SOUTH AFRICA’S award-winning internet publication, Cargo Info Africa, will add a directory of South African exporters to its comprehensive freight information site in early 2003.
In addition, a quotation system will be introduced enabling users to request quotations directly from service providers on line, says CIA editor, Philipp Pfeifer.
FTW’s internet-based electronic sister was voted best business to business specialist electronic publication in South Africa at this year’s Specialised Press Association annual PICA awards. An independent panel of judges stated in its appraisal that Cargo Info Africa should be the home page of every member of the freight industry.
The site currently serves around 6 000 unique page impressions daily. Its daily updated sailing schedules and the customs tariff book continue to be the major attractions, gaining the most ‘hits’.
This section has been upgraded substantially during the past year and is now available to freight agents and institutions such as banks through non internet-linked access.
“Many companies do not allow all employees direct access to the internet. We have therefore made the sailing schedule data base available to them unbranded as a private service which they can distribute to their staff on their intranet,” says Pfeifer.
The site provides the shipper with what is probably the most comprehensive package of trade-related, user-friendly information on southern Africa available on the web, he says. It covers the entire spectrum of trade-related services from import and export leads provided through the Trade Connection module, to shipping schedules, a free daily freight news service, stack dates, customs tariffs, lists of service providers and a range of other valuable information.
A number of useful links have recently been developed. The customs exchange rate for example links through to SA Revenue Services and trade leads go through to specialist website ‘africatrade’. Shipping weather forecasts are linked to the weather bureau.
Airline schedules are now included while more than 3000 readers are currently subscribed to the increasingly popular daily news service FTNow.
A recent added value option which comes into effect this week is a free email address for all registered Cargo Info FTNow members. Further details are available from Philipp Pfeifer.
Access Cargo Info Africa at www.cargoinfo.co.za
To subscribe to the FTNow daily news service, email helenam@nowmedia.co.za
