Cross-trade enquiries on the up

ndependent groupage operator CFR Freight has continued to hone its service offering with the introduction of new import services on the Marseille- Durban and Cape Town routes and from Karachi to Cape Town. A new export option from Durban to Hong Kong was also recently launched. “Our services are very stable and our global coverage is comprehensive,” says managing director Martin Keck. “Our Africa destinations are growing – both from South Africa and from the east in terms of transhipments. On the back of this we recently increased our frequency to Tema/Ghana to a weekly service.” But the phenomenal economic growth in Africa is a doubleedged sword that has seen the launch of several new direct services from the Far East to sub-Saharan Africa – Shanghai to Mombasa for example – that would previously have been transhipped in Durban. CFR has recorded significant growth in cross-trade enquiries. “It’s something we are well placed to provide and this is where our network, the World Wide Alliance, comes into play. We can connect any two places in the world no matter what origin or destination,” said Keck. Future service expansion will be informed by customer demand, says CEO Peter Schmidt- Löff ler. “We’re always looking at new options to better serve our customers and are working on additional direct services from inland stations in China.” The bottom line is that CFR’s groupage services are both mature and ripe for expansion. It’s the added value that the national container freight station, ZacPak, has to offer that takes it to a new level, says Schmidt-Löff ler. “We’ve seen growth in demand for export packing into Africa where we see huge potential,” says ZacPak managing director Willie Nel. “This is an area which has grown beyond budgeted expectation. The integration of products and services is clearly a huge advantage for us and our clients,” he told FTW. And the benefits are tangible, said Nel. “All our cargo from Durban is moving by road and by controlling the cargo we can reduce transit time by 50%. We can also track transit cargo from origin to unpack here or delivery to final consignee.” “We have invested a lot of money in improving our IT and information portal for our clients, ensuring total supply chain visibility which is a key priority,” said Keck. INSERT & CAPTION 1 All our cargo from Durban is moving by road and by controlling the cargo we can reduce transit time by 50%. – Willie Nel INSERT & CAPTION 2 We’re working on additional direct services from inland stations in China. – Peter Schmidt-Löffler INSERT & CAPTION 3 We can connect any two places in the world no matter what origin or destination. – Martin Keck