The working environment has changed radically for us in the last year. While this was at times stressful, it exposed our teams to new requirements and needs to collaborate with our client base in ways we had never been able to before. We certainly felt through all four divisions of the CFR Group that we were not in this alone. Disruption went from being an abnormality to the new abnormal. Challenges with infrastructure, both local and overseas, hit us as much as it did the rest of the industry. Inevitably it caused challenges and stress throughout the group. What was notable was how the whole team – from exco down to operations – pulled together. The solutions we were able to offer clients in all four areas of our business – ocean, air, depot and road – were incredible considering the size of the challenges being faced.The CFR Group is a very close-knit community. We were blessed to be able to resource the teams quickly to be able to work from home. What was missing was the usual family environment that exists in the office. Many staff members commented that this spirit of togetherness, irrespective of the pressures faced, was a big aspect missed. It was amazing to see the commitment of the depot teams working under huge constraints during this time, and it reminded us of just how committed to our slogan, Shifting Worlds, everyone is. We have embarked on a campaign of introspection one year on with our employees – coming from the newly formed MANCO team. We are keen to hear from the teams themselves how they fared, now that the Covid working environment – and all the changes it has brought – has normalised. For 30 years we have loved engaging with our clients in a special and personal manner, and the teams also often remarked that this daily connection with their clients (who were also working remotely) was harder to keep. We have seen a huge backlog in global logistical infrastructures. Factors such as limited capacity, Covid-related shutdowns and delays, and global insecurity have made the application of traditional strategies less effective. We had to adapt fast to the needs of our clients. We found opportunity in the needs of the client for: gaining extra equipment, doing CODs for line stoppage cargo, offering charters on airfreight, doing more LTL and FTL loads up and down in the SADAC and BLNE region, and of course offering urgent short- and long-term depot solutions for our partners. It is gratifying to see how our local and global product was able to remain relevant and agile, despite the challenges faced. LCL, on ocean, road, depot and air, is by its nature a product suited best to the need for agility. We implemented new direct consols on air and ocean to circumvent delays and were able to achieve some incredible results. People will need cargo, always. Our opportunity in South Africa is extending our reach as southern Africa also wakes up from the Covid-induced slumber. Our region faces the reliance on global supply chains because we do not produce much locally. We see the business models of carriers changing, through necessity and opportunity, and we simply have to adapt. There is a clear internal understanding that while we cannot control external factors we can control and optimise what we as CFR can do. The commitment to excellence throughout the company, ensuring we retain an approach to sustained relevance, and our commitment to neutrality, will allow us to continue to service our client base well into the future."It was amazing to see the commitment of the depot teams working under huge constraints during this time, and it reminded us of just how committed to our slogan, Shifting Worlds, everyone is.
