A new initiative designed to address the shortage of air freight capacity created by the Covid-19 pandemic is fast gaining traction in the freight industry.
Described as an air freight pipeline, the nationwide project is bringing vital supplies to South Africa using special air freight charters.
It’s driven by a company independent of the freight forwarding industry to avoid any conflict of interest, and has attracted support from the likes of Bidvest International Logistics, CFR, BidAir and Savino Del Bene, as well as several organisations including the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff), B4SA and Business Unity South Africa (Busa).
‘WarHorse’ is facilitated through an all-inclusive shared-space air charter solution underpinned by a compliant and transparent administration process, according to Teresita van Gaalen, CEO of tvg&associates (TVG), neutral facilitator of the project.
The next flight is scheduled for June 5.
“Collaboration between all parties is essential in the current circumstances and the intention is to ensure a stable and inclusive supply chain facilitated by a channel that offers the highest levels of impartiality, good governance and a seamless interaction with agents. It will also open the way for smaller businesses to benefit,” says Van Gaalen, an independent director in mining and motor industries.
WarHorse will centralise and coordinate activities through its website allowing equal participation by all potential players.
“The initiative has been structured in such a way that apart from sharing the air freight space, it will be business as usual for each agent. The single online platform will coordinate enquiries for shared space for the import and export of goods,” says Van Gaalen.
“South Africa is competing with the rest of the world for many of the products urgently needed in the country,” says Kobus Maree, CEO of freight forwarder Savino Del Bene.
“It is crucial that we ease the way for importers to get the cargo to South Africa in a timely and cost-effective way.
WarHorse is a project able to instantly put aside suspicions between competitors in the freight forwarding industry and grasp the opportunity to help reignite the economy while bringing benefits to people on the ground, especially when it comes to urgently needed personal protective equipment and medical supplies.”
