South African Airways Cargo adds 737-400 and 737-300s freighters

SOUTH African Airways Cargo has taken delivery of a Boeing 737-400 and a Boeing 737-300 freighter to replace B737 freighters that have already been withdrawn from service.

SAA Cargo general manager Tleli Makhetha revealed that the airline is focusing on the growth of value-added products such as courier, express and valuable cargo.

The company is also continuing to improve its service offering in the transportation of automotive components out of South Africa and perishables out of regional markets.

Mr Makhetha said the South African domestic cargo market is mature, and the company is not seeing any substantial growth, but the regional African market is on a growth trajectory that offers more opportunities.

"Most African markets remain predominantly import-driven, and this is likely to be the case for a long while," Mr Makhetha says. "We are, however, seeing an increase in agri-driven exports.

As some of the countries make concerted efforts to diversifying their economies, we expect to see more exports relating to petrochemical and tourism-related industries. This growth has however prompted more competition with international operators increasing their African operations."

SAA Cargo has a low-cost carrier called Mango Airlines, which carries cargo, as well. The airline has outsourced its cargo operations to SAA Cargo and focuses on the domestic market.

The trend towards low-cost carriers adding cargo to their service mix is continuing in Africa. Fastjet, owned by UK-based Fastjet PLC, signed an agreement with one of Africa's largest cargo operators, BidAir, to carry cargo on its fleet of Airbus A319s. Fastjet's operation has sufficient capacity to fly cargo on its Tanzanian routes.

Fastjet's chief commercial officer Richard Bodin says there is no timetable for expanding its cargo offering, "We're unlikely to move into dangerous goods at this stage because of added complications.

"Our colleagues at Bidair have indicated there is a strong demand for other products," Mr Bodin says. "What we are trying to do is balance it with our passenger requirements and take it relatively slowly."