'Industry know-how helps circumvent customs delays'

Security of goods in transit and customs delays are the key challenges facing the express air and road-freight industry in Africa, according to Lesley Haw, managing director of Sanguine Logistics International. “The burning issue is always the customs clearance which can cause substantial delays. While everybody is trained in the procedures and processes, what we have found invaluable is local knowledge and experience gained from previous shipments through the particular control point,” Haw said. “If you look at road freighting to Zambia, there are additional regulations as you will have to go through another country in transit. Understanding the regulations of transit countries and their restrictions will influence routing decisions or documentation requirements,” she added. Once the proposed One Stop Border Post initiatives are realised she expects to see a “dramatic difference” in customs service and turnaround time due to standardisation. In South Africa, National Treasury has received a grant from the African Development Bank to develop a national policy on One Stop Border Posts for the country. The policy project is part of the government’s regional integration efforts to ensure a consistent approach to road and rail border management. “Generally our express airfreight is related to spare parts for breakdowns. High value goods but low volumes are served best by airfreight express. In many cases, traditional courier services serve this requirement best, however one has to be aware of the courier service size and weight constraints,” Haw said. She said Sanguine offered a range of two- to eight-tonne dedicated vehicles for clients exporting goods into Africa. “When dealing with border crossings and customs up into Africa you always run the risk of unexpected delays. This is over and above delays experienced due to road conditions and weather,” Haw said. She added that security would always be a factor for goods shipments, although Sanguine had not experienced any cargo losses. “We always consider the risks and plan for the eventuality. Security is an activity that should be done in planning as part of risk management. We are kept updated by our transporters on incidents and threats,” Haw said. “At present the most common is sabotage of vehicles. It seems to be more malicious damage to the vehicles in an attempt to get money, than the theft of cargo.” “However, adequate insurance, and preventative security, should always be taken based on the risk of the cargo. INSERT & CAPTION We always consider the risks and plan for the eventuality. – Lesley Haw