SA entry clerk narrowly misses global Fiata award

Natasha Persad has the world of freight at her feet. The 27-year-old entry clerk with UTi in Durban was named first runner up in the Fiata “Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award” in Geneva in September this year, having won the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) Young Freight Forwarder of the Year award earlier this year. “I did not expect to even be in the top five,” says Persad, who attended the Fiata annual congress in Geneva in Switzerland as part of her prize. “To come second was absolutely fantastic. I have learnt so much and I am just more inspired to be the best freight forwarder I can be.” Having completed a dissertation for Saaff, Persad had to write a second dissertation for the Fiata award involving research into aid donations and the workings of six different countries’ customs laws. “It was much more than I ever imagined it to be – not only have I gained knowledge and expertise, but I have been given networking opportunities I never would have had and I have been able to see the industry at work on a global level.” This, she says, has impacted her day-to-day working environment, as she is now able to fully understand her role within the organisation for which she works. With Germany walking away as winners, Persad said South Africa definitely did not have to stand back at all. “If I took anything away from the congress it is that South Africa’s freight forwarding industry is of international standard.” She believes more young people should be encouraged to enter the Saaff competition, the precursor to the Fiata award.