Specialised team provides regional insight

SACO Shipping has established a dedicated Africa Gateway Team to manage shipments moving across the continent as trade flows into Africa continue to expand and diversify. According to Natasha Lawrence–Ramiah, general manager for ocean freight at SACO Shipping, the new team will provide a centralised function responsible for overseeing cargo movements across southern Africa’s cross-border corridors and into wider African markets via ocean freight. “The Africa Gateway Team has been created to provide focused expertise, seamless coordination and regional insight across our Africa-bound shipments,” she said. The team will manage cargo movements across neighbouring cross-border routes as well as shipments destined for West, North and East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Lawrence-Ramiah said Africa’s logistics environment presented significant opportunities but required a nuanced understanding of individual trade corridors. “Each corridor comes with its own regulatory frameworks, port dynamics, transit considerations and documentation requirements,” she told Freight News. “By consolidating our cross- border and Africa-bound ocean freight operations under one dedicated team, we are improving operational consistency, strengthening regulatory compliance and due diligence, and improving transit coordination and proactive client communication.” She said neighbouring cross- border movements remained a key priority. “The Africa Gateway Team will oversee these shipments end-to-end, ensuring smooth border transitions, accurate documentation and efficient cargo flow across southern Africa.” Lawrence-Ramiah added that the initiative also created new opportunities to improve service delivery for clients moving cargo across the continent. Clients, she said, would benefit from a single, accountable point of coordination for Africa- bound cargo, stronger alignment between pricing and routing decisions, as well as improved responsiveness and turnaround times. The dedicated team will also provide enhanced oversight of key operational milestones while supporting the company’s broader objective of strengthening partnerships with clients across African trade corridors. “This development reflects our commitment to strengthening our footprint across Africa while maintaining the highest standards of service and compliance. The Africa Gateway Team positions us to respond proactively to market shifts and evolving trade lanes across the continent,” she said. LV