SACO CFR is gearing up for growth in its cross-border operations.According to Natasha Lawrence, Johannesburg ocean and road freight branch manager, volumes are already on the rise, bolstering an already bullish outlook for the sector.“We are getting ready for exceptional growth in 2023. We have already seen positive results on this front in the first two months of the year, and look forward to an upward trajectory,” she told Freight News. “Overseas import volumes for exports into our neighbouring countries are also on the up and we are working to increase our consolidation service to Malawi from fortnightly to week ly.”She said it was not just services that were being strengthened and increased, but also the staff complement was being extended.“There are many opportunities at present. We have seen this on dedicated loads for various commodities and we hope to continue to extend our services in this regard.”SACO CFR doesn’t only offer consolidated loads but also dedicated truck loads as well as cross docking services on full container load (FCL) cargo.Lawrence said the cross-border space, while filled with opportunity and growth, was not one without challenges.“Border congestion has been an ongoing problem. Over the past few months and weeks, we have seen very heavy congestion at the Kasumbalesa post in particular, although this has now eased and there is movement. “The weather has also brought its fair share of challenges in Mozambique. The situation is, however, improving.”She said the loadshedding in South Africa was another ongoing challenge as it often led to border systems being shut down for hours on end. “Another concern is the road conditions leading to various border posts in the region that do need upgrading.”She said the company, however, remained optimistic about cross border traffic in light of its growth. “We are looking to introduce an air freight through bill tariff to the market. This will be specifically targeted at air freight cargo arriving at OR Tambo International for the final destination to Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.”
