The news of a total Lockdown came as no surprise and we accordingly support the Governments initiative to prevent uncontrollable spread and help flatten the curve.
That said, we are in the business of transporting a vast number of commodities and supplies, including essential supplies such as Pharmaceuticals, Foodstuffs (Raw and Finished), Medical Equipment and Supplies, Etc.
Accordingly, and in line with the decree by our President, Ziegler South Africa we will remain operational, although with limited staff, and only those that are essentially required, will be in the office while they observe strict Hygiene Protocol.
Airfreight
90% Of all carriers have either suspended service already or will do so by the end of the week. There is an absolute lack of Freighter Capacity as many of these were cancelled too, and those that remain are hiking rates by 300% and more and will probably carry critical healthcare supplies before general cargo. Please speak to your account manager to get specific information around your routes and commodities.
Ocean freight
Ports and Shipping Lines remain operational, but their ability to perform is being massively impeded by already high absenteeism rates. There is also a lot of uncertainly amongst the road haulage sector as to whether, or not them being recognised as a “Critical Supplier” will also afford them the right to carry non-Critical cargoes. We do believe there will be absolute chaos if cargo cannot exit ports, but then the containers would have to be stored full or unpacked for storage until non-essential businesses open again. A lot of Grey, we will provide more clarity as this unfolds.
Warehouse and Fleet
Our Warehouses and Fleet remain operational to service Critical supplies, but again on skeleton staff with strict Hygiene protocols. We would like to avoid double-handling of cargo in our Durban cross-docking facility where possible, so for essential suppliers remaining open over these times we request you accept direct FCL deliveries where possible. Our staff will have customer specific conversations with you.
Customs Clearing
Customs is fully operational, operating with skeletal staff.
We need to consider above all, of this the important balance between our Social Responsibility and the need for Logistics to continue as that is equally important for our survival. We do think the Government have defined this with relative clarity, and we will do our best to serve our customer base while respecting the decree.
We thank you for your continued support
Ziegler South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Sean Moore
CEO