SACO CFR has introduced a through bill tariff that will allow its customers the f lexibility to book direct shipments from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS). According to Natasha Lawrence, SACO CFR’s Johannesburg branch manager for ocean and road freight, the product is drawing interest from the market, with some clients already seeing success in terms of cross-trade development.“Our goal is to grow the service offering this year and extend the reach even further,” she said. Karuni Dhawrajh, senior road freight controller, added that with the Authorised Economic Operator (AOE) programme the company was also looking forward to the easing of customs for importers and exporters, allowing for a smooth transition of all incoming transshipment cargo via the ocean destined for cross border.According to Dhawrajh, mining equipment, machinery, transport equipment, building materials and various other miscellaneous manufactured goods are currently in high demand and volumes are on the increase.“This is very positive for the region. We continue to see the volume movement for these commodities, especially automotive, oil and gas, mining and manufacturing.”Another industry trend gaining traction is the implementation of modern integration technology, which enables companies to better connect with their customers with real-time updates.However, Dhawrajh said the cross-border landscape was not without its challenges. “We continue to experience challenges around road infrastructure, so we’re excited to see a firm commitment this year on investments to improve the infrastructure. This is a positive development for the movement of freight across borders, and it encourages exporters and importers to continue to use road transport.”One of the biggest challenges, said Lawrence, was still the delays being seen at major border posts. “This continues to inf lict the fear of cargo theft, creating longer transit times and delays.”She said the improvement of infrastructure, also at border posts, was therefore greatly welcomed and could not come sooner.Asked about which countries were offering a real opportunity at present, Dhawrajh said Zimbabwe and Zambia remained on the SACO CFR radar as there were some infrastructure improvements taking place, while several other developments would open up the opportunity for the increased movement of cargo.“With the possible further easing of the Covid-19 lockdown regulations, we hope to see an increase in the f low of cross-border cargo for different sectors. Addressing border delays is essential if we want to grow volumes in the region, but considering that many observers are predicting a growth spurt in Africa, we believe that cross-border trade holds a major opportunity going forward.”