'Overborder LCL growth likely to continue'

Southern African crossborder cargo import volumes are expected to continue rising on the back of growth and investment on the continent. This is according to independent groupage operator Contra Consolidations. SA-based Contra Consolidations managing director, Martin Schulze, said the company had seen a “steady increase” in cross-border cargo volumes, mainly from the Far East and Asian hubs. He said countries experiencing strong cargo volume growth included Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, with imports including machinery, equipment and industrial goods for infrastructure development projects. “There are definitely more cross-border volumes, with imports into African countries on the increase and significant Chinese investment in African infrastructure development,” he said. The company has established reliable services to key African destinations to service both cross-border and seafreight transhipment routes, covering East and West Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Schulze said the local industry had changed in recent years and demand for LCL shipment was likely to continue to increase to African destinations. “High-value cargo volumes have increased, and theft has been noted as an issue in South Africa and other countries – so the need for additional security measures has become important. Contra has developed strategies to reduce risk and safeguard the cargo entrusted to us by our customers and partners,” he said. “We understand the changing needs of freight forwarders and are making sure we continue to develop better service and product offerings. Freight forwarders are under tremendous pressure to meet the challenging demands of the market, and it’s our role as an operator to ease the pressure,” he said. Headquartered in Durban, Contra has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. INSERT & CAPTION A steady increase in cross-border cargo volumes, mainly from the Far East and Asian hubs. – Martin Schulze