Cargo to Africa will get a boost by trade shift towards Africa
Cargo sector on a global level is contributing a lot in abridging people living in various locations of the world. Truly speaking, it is boon and blessing for the migrants of a country residing in some other host country and sends their personal belongings and precious gifts to their dear ones to their homeland.
History reveals that initially west and other developed countries had no interest in making an investment in African countries. But now the scenario is changing rapidly. Merely from the UK, daily various cargo flights carry Cargo to Africa from UK.
A trade shift towards Africa by Europe, the US and China
A continent where earlier only military planes transported military freights, is now seeing replacement with the sophisticated Boeing 777 hovering over Africa. Europe is interested in floriculture and fresh produce of Africa while China is keeping its eye on African natural resources.
All this inclination towards Africa by the West, China and the US is due to natural resources of Africa and eventually this objective would be attained through sea cargo shipping to Africa or air cargo to Africa.
It deserves to mention here that the experts are observing this shift keenly. They are hopeful that there is going to emerge new trade corridors abridging the markets of Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Asia that are prospering rapidly.
It is quite certain that this new trade shift will attract, infrastructure developments, the inflow of increased foreign investment and emergent middle class will make the cargo traffic growth more substantial. It is estimated that this growth is expected to be 5.8% by 2030. And it is quite obvious that 60% more flights will be added, making it doubled.
Undoubtedly air cargo is facilitating trade globally and creating millions of jobs also. This is also a fact that world trade depends on the power to give supreme quality commodities at the competitive prices to the users globally. Statistically speaking, every year 7.4 billion parcels are delivered across the globe through airmail.
A win-win situation for both the UK and Africa
No would deny that diminishing trade relationships between the UK and Africa before Brexit and COVID-19 can be revived. On the other side, the UK export potential can be increased from the existing low figure. Eventually now after post-Brexit global aftereffects, will create shifting inertia that makes the UK form its trade relationships with other countries by its own, without any restriction from the EU. And African countries in this regard come on the high side in priority of the UK for making trade relationships.
It goes without saying that both the UK and Africa can have a win-win relationship due to ABC Triangle of AFCFTA, Brexit and COVID-19. That is why policy makers are on research to evaluate the exact outcome of these events for boosting the trade inclusive of cargo trade that is the back-bone of trade through air or sea.
Usage of unmanned drone technology in cargo by Africa
The biggest plus in cargo to Africa is that new technologies are being adopted rapidly by the African countries which once were regarded as backward areas. For instance, Kenya based cargo company has made an agreement with Japanese drone manufacturer Yamaha Motor Company to have the latest air cargo delivery solutions in Kenya.
Really, this is a big breakthrough that now cargo deliveries will be carried out by unmanned drone flights when you will observe that some drone is hovering over your house to deliver you your consignment. The sole objective for the usage of this drone technology is to provide urgently needed medicines or medical equipment in some disaster, instantly. This will no doubt, bring a drone revolution in Africa by having new innovation and technology.
Havoc caused and further threats to cargo to Africa
Unluckily, deadly pandemic COVID-19 is fixing its bloody paws on each and every sphere of life. After the bitter experience of the first wave, things were reformed and reshaped by having strict compliance of preventive measures. This was actually responded in the context of lessons learnt as this was a new pandemic of its kind.
But now its second wave is fiercer than first one, which will have
perhaps political effects also, after its spread globally. However, things are
going well by adopting the concerned social distances and wearing masks by the
cargo companies and field offices.
Will ABC Triangle slow down the pace of Cargo to Africa?
As earlier said there is a great flow of trade shift towards Africa from the west, US and China. But the emergence of viral pandemic COVID-19 is also busy in its disasters. And trade relationship of Africa with the UK is reshaping in the midst of this bitter havoc. Chronologically evaluating the events, we come to know that first in May 2019, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) came into force.
Then under the Brexit agreement, the UK withdrew itself from the European Union. And after that the corona shook the whole world and how could Africa remain aloof from it. The experts gave it the name of ABC Triangle of events that occurred in a sequence.
