E-business facilitator Commerce Centre of Southern Africa has signed an agreement with eFreight, a neutral Internet-based logistics marketplace, offering players in the logistics industry a central, integrated, online exchange to buy and sell their services, thus reducing logistics costs. Capacity utilisation will improve and freight will become visible in supply chains. Commerce Centre is a company in the JSE-listed Datacentrix Holdings group.
As part of a worldwide network, eFreight provides public and private marketplaces where shippers, carriers, third party logistics providers, freight forwarders and brokers can procure, plan and manage logistics execution on-line. Payment for the use of the services is billed on a per transaction basis. eFreight integrates into existing enterprise resource planning systems as well as other business-to-business marketplaces to provide desktop e-fulfilment for e-procurement customers.
eFreight services Africa with logistics marketplace technology which Commerce Centre will help market throughout the continent. "The eFreight marketplace is considered the de facto standard logistics system in the world," says Chris Greyling, a director of Commerce Centre. "It is the first logistics marketplace service to be offered in Africa. We would like to capture sixty percent of the African market over the next three years."
The main benefit of the system is the ease of use, speed and efficiency that holds the potential of streamlining logistics in South Africa. "Logistics costs in South Africa vary between fifteen and thirty percent of GNP, depending on product and industry, compared to between nine and eleven percent in Europe and the USA," says Jaap van der Merwe, a director of eFreight. "This has a direct influence on the competitiveness of South African goods in the global marketplace. The efficiencies promised can only be achieved in a neutral, inclusive system that focuses on core competencies. By meeting these requirements, eFreight is demonstrating all the attributes of a winning e-commerce business."
Shippers will be able to select service providers whose networks best match their freight needs. Service providers will be able to plan more efficient transportation networks and logistics service providers will be able to improve customer service.
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