Johannesburg hub supports Africa growth strategy

Gauteng has become the central focus point for many companies wanting to invest in the growing African market, according to Ronel Rossouw, national sales manager for SAA Cargo. “We see more and more demand from Gauteng to Africa,” she said. “And with the Durban ports being congested, it places more pressure on Johannesburg to move cargo from here.” SAA Cargo’s Gauteng hub remains the heart of its business and this is where cargo transits to and from all parts of the world into all parts of the world. “SAAC specialises in various commodities – from valuable cargo, human remains and dangerous goods to perishable cargo. Gauteng is a very important link in our delivery chain. With our dedicated four B 737F aircraft, we provide services daily from Gauteng to Port Elizabeth, Durban, Cape Town and George, as well as an extensive African network.” According to Rossouw, the Johannesburg hub enables customers to grow their African network in line with SAA’s Africa strategy. With plans to improve its Johannesburg facilities in the pipeline, the added benefit of Gauteng is that most customers are based in the province, making it easier to reach decision-makers and negotiate contracts. According to Rossouw volumes in and out of Gauteng at present are very consistent. “We have just recovered from low volumes due to the European Union holidays but our routes into America and South America continue to do well. Africa has also shown tremendous growth.” Rossouw says that apart from the international routes, domestic volumes have remained consistent, with Johannesburg to Cape Town still proving to be the largest route to date. “There are also plans to increase flights from Johannesburg to some African destinations very soon followed by our newest addition to Beijing in China that will commence in November. We will operate a “non-stop” flight from Johannesburg to Beijing, making it the longest flight ever recorded for SAA.”