Cargo To Africa

Category: Air Cargo

  • Air Freight to Africa: Tips and Tricks for Safe and Fast Delivery

    Air Freight to Africa: Tips and Tricks for Safe and Fast Delivery

    Have you ever wondered how to send goods to the beautiful continent of Africa without hassling over delays, damages, or lost packages? Fret not, this article is your ticket to mastering the art of air freight to Africa!

    This isn’t just about packing your cargo and sending it off. It’s an adventure, an African safari for your goods, as they traverse skies and time zones to reach their destination.

    So fasten your seatbelt and get ready to embark on this enlightening journey.

    The Lay of the Land: Understanding Africa’s Air Freight Landscape

    Africa, home to the Sahara Desert and the majestic Victoria Falls, is not just a marvel for its natural wonders but also a buzzing hub of commercial activity. In recent years, the continent has seen significant infrastructure and technology growth, attracting global trade attention. Yet, it’s a diverse terrain that asks for more than just packing up your shipment and waving it goodbye.

    Air freight to Africa is akin to a game of chess, requiring strategic planning and keen insight. Africa is a patchwork of 54 countries, each with distinct regulations, customs processes, and infrastructure capabilities. Thus, one size does not fit all when dealing with Africa’s air freight.

    One Step Ahead: Plan and Prepare

    Remember the old saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”? Well, it’s the gospel truth in the air freight business. Plan your shipment meticulously, considering factors like the destination country’s regulations, the nature of your goods, and the delivery timeline.

    Check for any trade restrictions on your goods in the destination country. For example, are you sending second-hand clothes to Kenya? Think again! Kenya has a ban on such imports to protect its local textile industry.

    It’s also critical to ensure your goods are adequately packaged. Here’s a cheeky analogy—imagine your package is a potato chip. You wouldn’t want it to arrive crushed and crumbled, would you? Hence, investing time and effort in proper packaging could mean the difference between your cargo arriving in mint condition or mashed potatoes.

    Network Like a Pro: Build Strong Relationships

    Just as you won’t walk into a party without knowing a single soul, don’t send your cargo without establishing solid connections. Building relationships with local freight forwarders, customs agents, and relevant government officials in your destination country can be the difference between a smooth transit or a logistical nightmare.

    Remember, it’s not just about sending a package—it’s about opening up pathways for lasting business relationships. Your network is your net worth in the world of air freight.

    ‘Safety First’ Isn’t Just a Slogan

    Consider safety paramount when shipping goods to Africa. Ensure your freight forwarder follows international safety standards and the destination country’s safety regulations. From properly declaring hazardous goods to securing cargo during transit, every safety protocol is essential for a successful delivery. And remember, cutting corners on safety might save you some bucks now but could cost you a fortune later.

    A Piece of Advice: Stay Flexible and Adaptable

    Just as the African weather can shift from a sun-scorched desert to a thunderous downpour in a blink, the freight landscape can change rapidly too. So, stay flexible and adaptable, ready to adjust your plans as required.

    For example, let’s say you planned to ship goods to Lagos, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lagos airport is closed. Having a contingency plan to reroute your shipment to another port, like Abuja, will ensure your goods still reach Nigeria.

    In a Nutshell

    With the right planning, strategic connections, emphasis on safety, and adaptability, shipping goods to Africa via air freight can be as exhilarating as a wild African safari, minus the wild part. So next time you’re sending goods to Africa, remember these tips and tricks, and watch your goods soar across the sky, faster than you can say “Hakuna Matata”.

    Now, what are you waiting for? It’s time to conquer the African skies with your next shipment!

  • Comparing Container, Breakbulk, and Air Freight Shipping Methods for Cargo to Africa

    Comparing Container, Breakbulk, and Air Freight Shipping Methods for Cargo to Africa

    Introduction:

    Shipping cargo to Africa presents a unique set of challenges, as the continent features diverse infrastructure, varying customs regulations, and a wide range of logistical requirements. When selecting the most suitable shipping method, businesses must consider cost, transit time, and the goods’ nature. This blog post will delve into the specifics of the container, break-bulk, and air freight shipping methods, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of African cargo transportation.

    Container Shipping



    Container shipping, the most popular method for transporting goods globally, involves loading cargo into large, standardized metal containers, typically measuring 20 or 40 feet in length. These containers are then stacked onto large vessels specially designed to transport them.

    Container Shipping Advantages

    Cost-effective: Container shipping is often more economical than other methods, especially for large goods. The standardization of containers allows for efficient loading and unloading processes, reducing labor costs.

    Security: Goods are securely sealed within the containers, reducing the risk of theft or damage during transit.

    Versatility: Containers can accommodate various types of cargo, including dry goods, refrigerated items, and even vehicles.

    Container Shipping Disadvantages

    Limited accessibility: Not all African ports can handle large container vessels. In such cases, businesses may need to rely on transshipment or use smaller feeder vessels, potentially increasing costs and transit time.

    Infrequent sailings: Some African routes may have less frequent container shipping services, leading to longer waiting times between sailings.

    Breakbulk Shipping



    Breakbulk shipping is a traditional method of transporting cargo that only fits within standard containers. This method involves loading individual pieces or units of cargo directly onto a vessel, often using cranes or other specialized equipment.

    Breakbulk Shipping Advantages

    Flexibility: Breakbulk shipping is ideal for transporting large or irregularly shaped cargo, such as machinery, heavy equipment, or bulk commodities like grain and minerals.

    Customization: Breakbulk vessels can be designed or adapted to accommodate various cargo types, providing tailored solutions for unique shipping requirements.

    Breakbulk Shipping Disadvantages

    Higher costs: Breakbulk shipping often involves more manual labor and specialized equipment, leading to increased costs compared to container shipping.

    Longer transit times: The loading and unloading processes for breakbulk cargo can be more time-consuming, resulting in extended transit times.

    Air Freight



    Air freight is transporting goods via air cargo carriers on dedicated cargo planes or in the cargo hold of commercial passenger flights.

    Air Freight Advantages

    Speed: Air freight is the fastest shipping method available, with transit times, typically ranging from a few hours to a few days, depending on the destination.

    Reliability: Air freight services generally operate on strict schedules, providing greater predictability and reducing the risk of delays.

    Air Freight Disadvantages

    High costs: Air freight is often significantly more expensive than other shipping methods, particularly for heavy or bulky cargo.

    Limited capacity: Air cargo carriers have strict weight and size restrictions, which may only be suitable for some types of cargo.

    Conclusion

    When shipping cargo to Africa, the optimal method depends on factors such as the nature of the goods, budget, and time constraints. Container shipping is a cost-effective solution for most types of cargo, while breakbulk shipping offers flexibility for oversized or irregularly shaped items. Air freight may be the best option for time-sensitive shipments, albeit at a higher cost. Ultimately, businesses must carefully evaluate their specific needs and choose the shipping method that best aligns with their objectives.

  • Kenya heading towards the betterment of Air Cargo Services

    Kenyan Airports Authority adopts TIACA Cargo Service Quality tool

    Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) plans to adopt Cargo Service Quality tool, which is backed by the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).

    Before moving towards the news it is important to know about the TIACA and the service developed by this organization, i.e. Cargo Service Quality tool.

    The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)-representation of all sectors of the air cargo supply chain

    Launched in the early 1990s, TIACA aims to support, inform, and connect companies and organizations of all dimensions with another ambition of developing a well-organized, contemporary, and incorporated air cargo industry worldwide.

    TIACA tries to defend every size of business, and help to figure out the policy which affects all of our members, providing a unifying voice for the industry, working for global standards, and raising the profile of air cargo.

    TIACA has made this objective to inform both the public and its membership about the role and importance of air cargo, Kenya Cargo industry developments, and technical drifts.

    KAA’s aim behind adopting the Cargo Service Quality

    KAA says the key aim of embracing the CSQ is to define a uniform standard for assessing cargo service quality and improve the relationship between customers and service providers.

    The adoption of the CSQ is expected to further anchor Kenya’s position as a logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa. And, people will be able to send cargo to Africa or cargo from Africa to all over the world, without encountering any difficulty.

     

    Cargo Service Quality (CSQ) tool, an enhancement of the air cargo supply chain

    TIACA has developed an online Cargo Service Quality (CSQ) tool to improve prominence and facilitate global standards throughout the air cargo supply chain. This is also a step on the way to provide shippers with the capability to view the quality of service carried out by players in air cargo supply chain.

    The TIACA Cargo Quality Council (TCQC) team has been diligently working to develop a quality assessment tool that will properly record the level of service supply regardless of the geography, local conventions, size of the cargo terminal, etc.

    KAA expects to procure the quality assessment Service of TIACA

    Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) is likely to procure the quality assessment services of TIACA within the first quarter of next year, a move which is set to strengthen Kenya’s standing as a regional hub for transport and logistics.

    KAA, which copes the advancement and maintenance of airport infrastructure, safety and security services, says it has been on the receiving end of the opposing perception associated with poor quality service at shipment sheds. The authority added that it is banking on the new approach to streamline operations at the sheds. 

    The measurement of service provided by the Five Transit Sheds under KAA

    There are five transit sheds under KAA’s management namely Kenya Airfreight Handling, Africa Cargo Handling, Swiss port, Siginon Freight and Trans Global Cargo Centre.

    “KAA will take the initiative to pay for the service for us to subject the transit sheds and to be able to see the measurement of the kind of service they provide. Once we do that, we will be able to score based on the quality of service provided,” Michoma said.

    KAA is expected to incur a cost of $5,000 (about Sh500, 000) for each transit shed annually in paying for the service from TIACA.

  • Ethiopian Airlines Opening new Destinations to Expand Air Cargo

    Positive plans to increase the cargo capacity in Africa by adding 98 cities and the best air crafts

    A rapidly growing airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, has made up the plans to increase the cargo capacity to the African trade lanes with the launch of services to seven new destinations. This air cargo booster plan is aimed to start in the first five months of this year and will play important role to increase Cargo to Africa.

    New Places to be opened by African Airlines

    A hubbed airline, announced that they are planning to open new areas between January and June. The areas which they are going to add to increase air cargo are Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Antananarivo (Madagascar), Conakry (Guinea), Osla (Norway), Chengdu (China), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Singapore.

    New Cities with The Best Aircraft

    Ethiopian Airlines is very eager to take lead to promote the air cargo industry in Africa, and their move to open the new destinies is a clear sign that they are doing well.

    They are aiming to offer their services to 120 international destinations by 2025. With these new additions, it is also going to offer the flights to 98 cities with the best fleet of Boeing 777, Airbus A350, B787 and Bombardier Q-400 Aircraft.    

    What Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Said?

    The Chief Executive of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam said, “Africa’s share of Global Aviation is the smallest which is only around 3%. As the largest Airline group in the continent, we are highly concerned on the low base of air connectivity in the continent.”

    He further added, “Looking beyond the current economic slowdown especially in the oil export dependent economies of Africa, we firmly believe that the continent will become the magnet for foreign direct investments, trade and tourism, which are the engines of air travel growth and in turn efficient air connectivity also drives socio-economic development and we are happy to contribute our share in 21st Century African Transformations.”

    IATA Statistics to Show Cargo Load Factor

    In the last November, the statistics of IATA showed that the cargo load factors declined year on year for the 19th consecutive months to reach 25.3%, the lowest level of any region which is nominated by the airlines organizations.

    However, the efforts of the continent’s largest airline group are up to the mark and these will surely put the air cargo industry to the next levels.

  • Benue Cargo Airport Construction! A milestone for Cargo to Africa

    The Benue Cargo Airport will be a milestone for cargo to Nigeria from the UK

    The construction of an N36 billion Makurdi cargo airport in Nigerian state will be a great achievement for cargo deliveries and the state has been flagged off to construct the new one. The Benue Cargo Airport will be a big achievement for cargo to Nigeria from the UK.

    The construction contractors Pureza Investment International Ltd (PIIL) and Barr Brian Mbeya, at the ground breaking ceremony at the construction site said that they have the potential of improving the farming business in the area.

    Pureza is a local firm and they have identified the local investment chance and the investment sources for foreign investors. Mbaya said that the extensive negotiation and meetings have helped them to capture financial and technical support. He also gave a statement about the new arrivals.

    What Contractor says about the airport?

    According to the managing director of the contracting firm, the project will take around 38 months because it is a public private partnership financed project. It was acquired from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in 2013.

    According to that policy, government has to handle the situation. Under that policy, the authority will be bound to renovate and update several airports for cargo and built some new airports as well. The Makurdi airport is based on the heart of the Nigerian cargo zones.

    The Government’s point of view

    According to Mbaya, the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, knew the importance of the project and being a former minister of state, he is supporting due to its enormous financial benefits. Dr Shija has stated that the questions asked to the government of Nigeria must be entertained and they deserve to get the quick response.

    He believes that the state government is selling the idea as a political stunt and they are getting benefit from it as well. The National Civil Aviation Policy reviews all segments of the aviation industry and provided the feasibility study for cargo airports in exact and aviation substructure in over-all in Nigeria.

    What Airport extension actually involves?

    The major plan of the airport extension is not only to enhance the performance of existing airports but it actually means that the cargo terminal must be separate from passenger operations. There will be three terminals at the airport, first part is for the passengers only and the other one is for cargo deliveries.

    The airport has received a new status of international airport, so that it was necessary to give a massive retouch to airport to meet the international requirements for international airports and the prices for those cargo deliveries from outer world to Nigeria. Dr. Shija has now not partially taken credit over the cargo airport.

    The federal government has attracted the airport venture to Benue and has already supplied giant land upon which the airport is to be developed. Secondly, the 15% fairness contribution, though not to be made now, will probably be paid later through the revenue generated from the airport, so the Benue State govt holds a vital stake within the challenge as a key business associate.

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  • At Least, the Lackluster African Air Cargo Smells Sweet with Red Roses

    The sweet smell of red roses and an up surge in e-commerce in African countries adore the air cargo in Africa

    Common cargo volumes declining all over the places across the world. In the global markets, the start of regular national and worldwide ‘special events’ – such as soon coming Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ Day and in Russia, the Women’s Day – gives a boost to air cargo in the temperature-controlled freight services. The cargo deliveries of Roses from the wild rose fields in Africa delivered across the globe.

    What giants believe?

    Big players of the Air cargo industry said that the red roses demand across the globe remained at its peak in 2016. Where Carnations, pompoms and chrysanthemums remained at the top with more than 50 percent increase in demand.

    The initial figures of the IAG Cargo Show, that cut flower for the American destinations, an increase of flat 50 percent has been recorded compare to the last season.

    The Upswing in air cargo

    This upswing moreover shows a much broader trend: improved e-commerce capabilities which at the moment are enabling patrons, peculiarly in the developed countries where ecommerce is more reliable and widely used like the United States, to buy their flowers from farmers without any middle man, for the most part, the farmers are in East Africa.

    How ecommerce help?

    Buying instantly and direct from farmers or the florists can help them order exactly. The IAG cargo officials said that they have their cargo hubs at London Heathrow which deals cargo to Africa and other one is in Madrid, Spain.

    Both are very well organised and managed for handling and managing flower cargo across the globe. Handling of these perishable goods, guaranteeing that they are kept fresh and delivered in time with full bloom. The traditional rose is probably the most popular flower shipped on Cargo flights, with ninety five per cent of them crimsons and carnations.

    With the rush sought after, it is no wonder that February has ended up a principal month for Kenyan and South American flower growers as the height-season interval for cut-flower transportation in most cases starts within the final two weeks of January and ends after February.

    Lufthansa Cargo on the other hand is transporting not less than 1,500 tonnes of blooming roses this year, almost equal to forty million roses or the fully loaded sixteen MD-11 freighter flights.

    The German cargo handler consistently provides special approvals to its regular flights to handle more rose cargo in February with additional services from Quito and Nairobi to Frankfurt to meet the high demand on Valentine’s Day next year.

  • Rwanda starts using Drones to deliver cargo

    The Rwandan Government has started drone operations to delivery emergency supplies to remote areas

    East African nation has taken a very bold step to save lives of their citizens and started emergency supply deliveries with the help of drones. While on the other hand, American giant companies like Google, Amazon and couple of others are working on the cargo delivery and door to door parcel services with the help of drones.

    Rwanda is one of the African nations where the companies like Zipline and UPS are working on different causes and helping the nation. The government has announced that they have started the operations through drones to deliver blood and there will be more than 150 deliveries per day to the different blood transfusion centres in the western part of the country. These drones will deliver emergency supplies to the remote areas and these instant deliveries will help in saving precious lives.

    What are these drones?

    The American company Zipline is a robotics manufacturing company and they are taking their 15 drones to help in delivering the emergency services to the remote areas. These drones are called as the Zips and they are especially designed to use in the emergency operations in the African countries. It has been designed to safely deliver the vaccines during the lengthy rainy seasons in Rwanda.

    Partnership on delivering the emergency supplies

    The drone delivery service will initially focus on the delivery of blood in the western Rwandan areas but Zipline has confirmed that the UPS and Vaccine alliance Gavi will join them in 2017 and then they will deliver all kind of medicines to all across the Rwanda.

    Rwandan government has plans to expand the drone operations in the eastern half of the country too but they will expand the Zipline drone delivery operations in early 2017. These operations will cover more than 11 million people in the country and they will be in the instant delivery reach of the centre from where the lifesaving drugs have been distributed to the entire country. It is truly amazing that a zip can travel more than 150 kms with a payload of around 1.5 kg.

    Zipline is not working under any non-governmental organisation, it has actually has a commercial agreement with the Rwandan Government. The UPS foundation has donated more than 1.1 million US dollars to the foundation. The Foundation is expecting to save more than thousands of lives with the help of this process in the next three years.

     

    What Zipline believes of Drone deliveries?

    The CEO of the Zipline organisation stated that the incapability to transport lifesaving drugs causes millions of avoidable life losses every year across the globe. Zipline is working to solve this problem for ever with the help of its delivery system.

    This instant delivery system helps Zipline to deliver medicines and emergency services to any remote area within 150 kilometres. It is a system that offers delivery on demand anywhere around the country. Rwanda has opted for this solution to save the lives of their people in the western part of the country.

  • Enormous Cargo Expansion by Emirates Group

    Emirates in planning to expand their cargo business in addition with Controlled Temperature Cargo

    Emirate is a renowned airline company serving for its customers since many years. It has also entered in the cargo line to give additional supportive services to customers. The evolution doesn’t stop here. The Emirates group has opened a Dh600 million cargo-handling extension, with a special cool-storage facility which is dedicated to pharmaceutical shipments to Africa from Dubai International Airport.

    Emirates Sky Cargo Extension

    The cargo business of Emirates is known as Sky Cargo and has expanded its existing 80,000 squares meter facility and added another 11,000 sq meters for massive cargo shipping projects. Out from the new expansion area, the 4,000 sq metres are dedicated to the SkyPharma which deals in pharma cargo.

    Last year, Sky Cargo was also expanded to 15,000 sq metres by Dh 700 million cargo-handling extension. This mighty expansion in the very next year is intimating that the coming years will bring mighty massive cargo developments.

    What Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed Said?

    The Chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Emirates group, Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed said’ “this will be a good facility to serve the market and the whole region”.

    Before this expansion, the pharma handling and cargo operations were handled at Emirates general cool chain cargo areas. Now, Dubai South and Dubai International Airport has opened their segregated areas for temperature controlled cargo shipments.

    Strict European Union Guidelines

    In 2013, there are some strict guidelines forwarded from the European Union that there must be segregation for controlled temperature cargo shipping. Sky Cargo has expanded its cargo segregation and now handles products such as diabetes and cancer medicines, blood derivatives and vaccines.

    According to a recent survey, the total Cargo volume for Emirates regarding pharma shipping is 11,000 tones out of 2.5 million tones. Emirates Airlines is planning to capture massive cargo market, and this is one of their effective results towards their goal achievement.

  • Fashion Icon Brand, The Deacons, Reduces Cost by stopping Airlifting Cargo

    Switching towards Sea Cargo from Air Cargo, The Fashion Retailer expands business

    The Fashion retailer Deacons in Nairobi, East Africa has been struggling for a long time ago to cut their costs through any mean. Now they are finding the way how to get rid from huge expenses. They have targeted big plans to reduce their shipping costs. The plans are too big in their economic view that they reduce the cargo costs to 80%. They totally shifted airlifting cargo to sea transport.

    What Peter Njoka, Deacons Chairman Said?

    Deacon has already experienced a big cost saving by delivering their products direct to the customers rather than going through South Africa. The Deacon’s chairman said, “We are seeing out transport costs reduce by up to 80% on the Dubai-China route”. He also said that their decision of skipping the air Cargo via South Africa and moving it through sea has already reduced 50% of cargo cost. By doing this, they will surely get better position to compete on pricing with its rivals in the fashion retail sector.

    Deacons Plans after Cost Cutting

    A cost deduction up to 80% in any sector means you have added profit wings with you. The same is the case with the fashion retailer. After smartly planning cost cutting, they planned to open new outlets away from Nairobi by doing rental agreements. Eldoret, Kisumu and Meru are their next target markets.

    Muchiri Wahome, the retailer’s chief executive said, “we will go in as soon as the malls are completed”. Furthermore, he also explained that it is not possible to reveal which store will open first because the decision depends on completion dates from real estate developers.

    The retailer’s chief executive has also explained that they are working to increase the outlet numbers to 66 after the big cost saving from air cargo.

    The smart decisions from Deacons are made after smart planning of Air cargo cost cuttings. That’s why they are able to expand their business to the new horizons.

  • Another Airline Vanished Off the Radar! Mediterranean Left No Clue

    The Egyptian airline flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo disappears over Mediterranean with 68 On-board

    An Egypt air airbus 320, flight number MS804 has followed the path of Malaysian Airline MH370 and disappeared on the Mediterranean with 68 passengers on board. There is no clue so far that where MS804 has gone?  Is it going to be the next MH370 or it has been crashed? If it has been crashed, where is its wreckage? Where are the passengers and all the air cargo on board? There are thousands of question to be answered but Egyptian Army, Greek forces and French Authorities are trying to find it in assistance with Airbus experts.

    When MS804 disappeared?

    Flight MS804 vanished at 02.30 hours nearby time after leaving Greek airspace. Up to now the intent of vanishing off the radar screens isn’t known and Egyptair has asked the media to halt gambling apart from information and facts are actually recognized. The missing plane, registration SU-GCC used to be dropped at Egyptair in November 2003 and has flown about forty-eight thousand flight hours successfully in the past 13 years with Egyptair.

    What Egyptair says?

    Egyptair denies all misleading expertise opinions and news published by using information web pages and on the social media channels regarding the enlightenments of the Egyptair flight MS804 disappearance and the Airbus confirms that the cause of vanishing of the radar hasn’t been confirmed.

    Egyptair calls for media resources to be guaranteed of the understanding they submit or free up and to abide by the professional press releases issued via Egyptair media centre.

    What Airbus says about the disappearance?

    Airbus as usual regrets to verify that an A320 operated via Egyptair used to be lost at the round 02:30 am Egypt local time over the Mediterranean. The Flight MS804 used to be running a scheduled service from Paris, France to Cairo, Egypt.

    Greek Sources Wreckage Claim

    Greek officials have cast doubt on Egypt’s affirmation that it determined particles belonging to flight MS804, giving a contradictory justification of the findings to the media. They have started giving the statements like in the case of MH370 that the debris and belongings.

    Egypt Ambassador to France

    Egypt’s ambassador to France, Ehab, Badawy, on the BFM television said that all he will say is that Egypt embassy in Athens instructed that it used to be contacted by way of Greek authorities, who signalled that they found white and blue debris akin to Egypt Air’s colours.

    It’s still a Mystery

    However, Greek sources have informed that the material that they had located thus far was once now not blue and white. The media meanwhile has word from an unnamed senior Greek official, who says the particles determined thus far does now not belong to flight MS804.

    Egypt’s Civil Aviation ministry had stated floating material, together with lifestyles jackets and plastic objects, have been found in the sea off the Greek island of Karpathos, practically the suspected area of the airplane crash. The media also got the opinion of a former transport authentic from the United States, who mentioned the sparse evidence up to now indicates a bomb is extra probably than mechanical failure.