SAAFF launches new Cape Town port dashboard to improve international trade

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) is set to launch its Cape Town port dashboard aimed to improve cargo flow and further boost international trade.

In an interview with the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SAAFF CEO, Dr. Juanita Maree, said they want to ensure the local supply chain works without any bottlenecks and that the dashboard will give visibility to all the vessels coming into and departing South Africa. 

“I think for us as South Africans, we don't want a similar crisis as to what we experienced with Eskom,” said Maree.

“We want to make sure that our supply chain works… we cannot afford that our supply chain stop,” she said.

Maree added that the dashboard has the necessary data that will highlight how long a vessel stays in the harbor, how quickly terminals are working to offload and load the vessels, and to assist the truckers and the rail network in bringing cargo into the different terminals. 

“The initial port dashboard project started in Durban after the floods, and that’s where the Cape Chamber was seeing the work that we've done… and I thought it would be interesting for the Western Cape specifically because it works with agri-cargo which is very time sensitive,” said Maree.

“And I think it was actually foresight for the Cape Chamber CEO John Lawson and the other people in the Chamber to say that, here is a diamond and how can we bring it together and how can we link it,” she said.

Maree added that the Cape Chamber’s role in assisting and collaborating was important as it works directly with the cargo owners.