We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of our partnership with Brics, says sales manager of Compu- Clearing, Nachi Mendelow. “There is still room for major developments within Brics that will benefit the freight and logistics sector,” he told FTW. “As more and more resources flow out of Africa into Brics countries it is very important for South Africa to facilitate trade and grow our exports and imports.” And good systems are a part of that growth, said Mendelow. “That applies to South and southern Africa. As companies adopt more advanced systems they are able to reduce data capture while increasing accuracy, allowing for greater throughput without increasing overheads. By sharing data between companies, we reduce transactional costs by doing more with fewer resources.” This is useful in light of the major infrastructure challenges across the continent in terms of electricity and communication. “You can have the greatest systems in place and yet any issues with electricity or communication will halt the flow of trade,” says Mendelow. “Realising these issues we have developed solutions that address this by offering a complete hosted solution in which a client would only require an Internet connection. There is no need for them to install servers, therefore reducing infrastructure costs and eliminating the need for initial capital outlay.”
