We are pleased to announce that the Government Gazette (GG 43199 – dated 2 April 2020) was amended and now allows for movement of all Cargo. This will assist with the evacuation of Ports and prevent congestion. This means that Non-Essential Cargo may move to approved Logistics Depots and Warehouses, while only Essential Cargo is allowed to be delivered to the customer’s door.
Ocean Freight:
Transnet Port Terminal has brought business units back online, however, given their initial position and the “no need to work” expectation it created for their staff, we do expect it to impact productivity. This will cause delays and congestion beyond the COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, both Transnet Port Terminal and Border Police are requesting proof of Sanitisation of cargo exiting ports. We believe that this measure should be for Air Cargo only where the transit time is much shorter, as cargo moves from an infected area into another in only a few hours. We are busy investigating how to overcome this challenge in order to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.
Roadfreight and Border Offices:
ALL clearances via our road border offices are now proceeding. Please note that there are intermittent reports of SAPS/SANDF interventions leading to harassment of drivers on the roads and due to this, Customs Clearances by Ziegler does not guarantee that vehicles will remain unimpeded during transit. It is important to note that cargo may only be moved to Approved Logistics Providers or CIPC approved Essential Service Providers. Please check the regulations of neighbouring countries with your Ziegler Representative before proceeding with road freight as some areas may be more restrictive.
Contact our Borders Regional Manager, Marlene Van der Merwe for assistance on marlenevdm@ziegler.co.za or +27 (0)82 317 5777
Airfreight:
Many Freighter services have resumed as of the weekend and additional capacity has been added through SAA’s German repatriation flights. We are seeing demand sky-rocket as the country grapples with short supply of PPE and Medical Equipment and unfortunately do not see this demand reducing. We anticipate that after the COVID-19 lockdown, service and price in the Air Cargo market will take some time to normalise and recover. Furthermore, some Ground Handlers in South Africa are implementing a “COVID-19 surcharge” to their landside costs due to the new requirement of sanitizing import cargo from Medium and High-Risk countries. We will notify you should this surcharge be applicable to your shipment and will bill this at cost.
For assistance and more information about your shipments, please contact your Ziegler Representative, we are here to assist.
Be informed, be safe.
Ziegler South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Sean Moore
CEO