South Africa: Cape Town records 25% growth in air cargo volumes in 2024. Cape Town Air Access is supported by Wesgro and hosted its third annual Western Cape Air Cargo Conference. It highlighted the continuous growth in air cargo volumes that are out of Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) with 75,000 tonnes of goods transported by air in 2024, as of now.
Reportedly, this increased attribute to the Western Cape’s growing international connectivity with CTIA is welcoming 217 international flights per week this season.
The third annual Western Cape Air Cargo Conference celebrated strong growth in air cargo trade via Cape Town International Airport, hosted at the Hazendal Wine Estate. The event brought together the industry leaders, airlines, cargo operators and e-commerce businesses to discuss the sector’s progress and the steps that are needed to strengthen the trade.
CEO of Wesgro – Wrenelle Stander highlighted the 25% growth in the Western Cape’s air trade volumes in 2024, with 75,000 tonnes of goods that are transported by air.
According to Stander, the increase is attributed to the expansion of international connectivity of Western Cape with Cape Town International Airport and is now hosting 217 international flights per week this season.
“We need to focus on what we can control, by attracting investment, leveraging technology and strengthening global partnerships,” stated CEO Stander.
Stander also provided an outlook for the export strategy of the region, that includes to connect local exporters to the new markets. The 2024 surge in air passengers at Cape Town International is marking a 10% increase in the industry as compared to year 2023. Moreover, its reflects the growing role of airport as a gateway for economic activity.
“This growth in connectivity means increased belly-freight cargo capacity and more opportunities to move goods by air,” explained Stander.
Considering this, the keynote Speaker and CEO of Naspers, South Africa – Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, one of the world’s largest technology investor and operator, emphasised the growing role of e-commerce in driving air cargo expansion.
According to Dabengwa, e-commerce growth in South Africa presents huge opportunities for air cargo.
“We must connect digital and physical supply chains to meet the expectations of the consumer for fast and reliable delivery,” added CEO Phuthi.
The Western Cape Air Cargo Conference also provided an overview of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, that provides a competitive advantage for South African products in the US, especially while playing a critical role in supporting the growth of Western Cape agricultural exports to the US and contributing significantly to jobs in the province.
Wesgro stressed that in such times of uncertainty it is important to remain focused on maintaining and growing market share in the US, but also on addressing the supply side competitiveness challenges and supporting diversified market access through trade agreements and addressing trade barriers.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos pointed to the 57% of increase of the region in air cargo growth since 2018 as a clear sign of the growing prominence and a key trade hub.
Vos highlighted the need for ongoing collaboration to enhance the logistics and streamline the movement of goods. He added that they need to secure more flight routes and improve connectivity to drive economic growth by stressing the air cargo which is vital for ensuring the timely delivery of time-sensitive agricultural exports and maintaining the competitiveness in global trade of the region.
Dr. Ivan Meyer also spoke about the broader economic impact of air cargo and the need for modern infrastructure to support trade.
Meyer mentioned that if they want to attract investment, they need the right infrastructure to support air cargo growth. He noted that the province has studied the growth potential of different towns and regions by using the insight to drive targeted investment.
“Expanding the air cargo capacity strengthens the logistics network, opens new trade opportunities and helps in positioning the Western Cape as a competitive player in the global market,” concluded Meyer.