Powered by its rich natural resources and the expansion of export capabilities, Africa’s air freight market sees significant growth. Regions such as South Africa, Morocco and Egypt have switched from traditional exports, such as melons, to the production of niche, high value goods such as berries, organic perishable products and grapes with cotton delight, which is the increasing ability of Africa to get to the to meet global demands for food, reflects security and sustainable products.
Northern and Southern Africa are important opportunities of opportunities. East Africa, especially Kenya and Ethiopia, stands out as a world leader in high value agricultural exports, such as flowers, fruits and vegetables, mainly destined for Europe and the Middle East. In Western Africa, countries such as Nigeria and Ghana are experiencing an increasing demand for importing consumer goods and industrial equipment. In addition, they create exports of commodities such as cocoa, gold and oil trading flow.
“The African air freight industry has undergone significant transformation, characterized by increased trade and connectivity. One of the most striking developments was the growth of intraafrican trade, ”said Anand Kulkarni, head of world markets at Lufthansa Cargo. “Furthermore, improved trade relations with Asia, Europe and the Middle East have encouraged higher volumes of exports, such as spoilers such as flowers, fruits and vegetables, as well as the import of consumer goods and industrial machinery.”
“The most important factors that drive the growth in the African air freight market include the increasing demand for perishable property, the expansion of e-commerce and the increasing attraction of the continent as a tourist destination,” said Grant Kemp, the local general manager from Etihad Cargo, added.
“For example, Etihad Cargo focused on the institution and offers optimized solutions for both e-commerce and perishable products. “
Charter market
The African air freight market has long been defined by consistent trading patterns, with perishable products that remain a dominant export throughout the continent. However, political instability and conflicts across the continent have influenced the industry in various ways. In some regions, demand for humanitarian aid has increased, which has increased cargo volumes, especially for charter companies, while the production and trade for traditional carriers are disrupted at the same time. With new and ongoing regional challenges coming up each year, the landscape remains dynamic.
Meanwhile, industrial growth is driving the establishment of new manufacturing plants across Africa, which contributes to an increase in cargo movements. In addition, e-commerce has become a major focus in Africa, which has been experiencing significant growth over the past few years and further reforming air freight dynamics.
‘There are a number of new airports that have recently opened or will start in the next five years. Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa are quite advanced in these new developments, ”said Lyndee du Toit, CEO of Air Charter Service South Africa.
‘Next to those, smaller or secondary airports offer more flexibility and availability with slots and parking, for example. It is also much easier to operate smaller flights to these airports, and the processes are often faster. “
Digital Development African Air Freight operators are increasingly using digital tracking systems to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Africa has been a white place for the visibility of the supply chain for a long time. But because of its importance in global value chains, especially for commodities and food, visibility is more and more in demand and requires the suppliers to offer these services.
As such, there is increasing demand from African continents in solutions to modernizing detection and visibility, which is a clear sign that these topics are becoming more important in this region.
“Logistics and freight transport are rising in Africa and will continue to do so. Without further steps in automation, this would not be possible. In addition, Automation offers large savings not only for logistics, but also for goods being transported, ”explained Martin Schulze, CEO of Bluebox Systems.
“Africa offers great potential for startups, especially from Africa itself. Markets are still working on, and technology adoption rate is not as high as in other regions. Therefore, startups do not have to fight existing players and legacy systems and processes, but can really provide it with a ‘green field’ situation.
