Speedy turnaround relies on ‘spot-on’ paperwork

ALAN PEAT THE TRICK in airfreighting into Africa is to get your paperwork absolutely spot-on, so that everyone in the freight chain has their own individual documentation demands satisfied, according to Elmarie Breedt, operations director of Makamba Clearing and Forwarding. You need to have an accumulation of years of experience and expertise if you’re going to gain the confidence of your locally-based clientele in your ability to move cargo via airfreight into Africa. “It’s only then that you can gain an upper hand in this competitive market,” Breedt told FTW. Makamba, she added, prides itself on being one of the select number of agents who can move cargo from point-of-entry to point-of-exit with no complications - in the quickest time possible. “Our current expertise lies within Angola,” said Breedt, “and, with our agency network, we are clearing airfreight cargo in record time.” It’s a country which has spawned a lot of documentation requirements. This requires the airfreight agent to be able to assure its clients that all of the documentation from SA is done correctly and carefully overseen, if the cargo clearance procedures are not be held up in anyway. “We are looking at a turnaround time of approximately three-days from flight for clearance and delivery,” said Breedt.