Gauteng continues to play an integral role in the freight and logistics sector despite its distance from the ports – and it consumes the vast majority of freight that moves through our ports. According to Jessica Schneiderman, marketing representative for Compu Clearing, it’s the reason why the company has based its head office in Johannesburg with supporting offices in the coastal towns of Cape Town and Durban. “Africa has seen an increase in trade over the past few years with South Africa playing a major role as a gateway and hub into the region. Gauteng plays a pivotal role in ensuring an efficient supply chain – which is why most clearing and forwarding companies are headquartered in this region. “Technology has had a major impact on the industry as advanced IT systems now allow for companies to manage all their branches from one central area while all functions can be achieved at both branch and head office levels.” According to Schneiderman, IT systems are necessary to address the many challenges facing the supply chain industry. “We offer a hosted solution which includes free support and training on all our systems. With efficient systems just about any eventuality can be addressed. “Although the new customs bills, for example, will affect City Deep as a primary inland port, our systems allow customers to clear their goods remotely at any customs port, ensuring that nothing hinders the flow of business,” said Schneiderman. INSERT & CAPTION Complete disaster recovery with generators, daily backups and mirrored servers ensures that business continuity is guaranteed. – Jessica Schneiderman
