The Road Freight Association (RFA) and the South African Freight and Logistics Association (SAFLA) have joined forces to push for customs modernisation, border digitalisation and trade facilitation reforms aimed at reducing delays and costs across the supply chain.
The two associations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishing a framework for collaboration on engagement with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the digitalisation of Other Government Agency (OGA) processes, Smart Border development, capacity building and process mapping.
They will also establish escalation mechanisms to address systemic challenges affecting their members.
The agreement would extend the association’s advocacy reach into the freight forwarding sector and enable the organisations to present government with a more coordinated position on trade facilitation priorities, RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said.
“The road freight sector does not operate in isolation. Every delay at a port of entry, every manual OGA process, every compliance bottleneck has a direct bearing on road freight transporters in the supply chain,” Kelly said.
“By aligning formally with SAFLA, we extend our lobbying reach into the forwarding sector and give government a combined and unified signal on trade facilitation priorities rather than a series of fragmented requests and proposals from the industry.”
Focus on customs and border processes
Coordinated action was needed to address challenges facing freight operators at the interface of customs, border management, regulatory compliance and international trade, SAFLA executive officer Dave Logan said.
“Collaboration is a necessity in the freight industry. Our members operate at the interface of customs, border management, regulatory compliance and international trade, and they face challenges that no single association can resolve alone.
He said the agreement would also bring road freight perspectives into SAFLA’s existing engagements through SARS stakeholder forums.
The associations have identified OGA digitalisation and customs streamlining as particular priorities, arguing that inefficient processes create unnecessary compliance costs throughout the supply chain.
They said smoother OGA and SARS processes could reduce the administrative burden on freight forwarders and clearing agents, with benefits flowing through to road freight operators and transporters.
The MoU, signed on July 1, will be reviewed annually by the chief executives of both associations to ensure the collaboration remains responsive to developments in South Africa’s customs and border management environment.
