Cross-border platform opens future possibilities

In 2024, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) launched a cross-border trade and transport information platform that houses valuable information on cross-border road transport, cross-border trade, the condition of corridors and border posts, and market opportunities that exist in the Southern African  Development Community (SADC).

According to C-BRTA, a phased development approach was adopted, which will allow the iterative expansion of the online platform over time to integrate with other national systems and database sets.

Upon its completion, the platform will store and disseminate information in real time on cross-border trade and traffic movements along regional transport corridors, as well as on new and ongoing developments which impact on cross-border operations. The availability of real-time information will assist transport operators to better plan their journeys, while also enabling public sector decision-makers to make informed decisions.

Information on the platform is categorised under the following headings:

• Instruments – regional road transport agreements and regional trade instruments
• Information and Resources – publications and research, as well as country handbooks
• Trade and Logistics – logistics performance and traffic flow data
• Corridor Performance – live corridor and border traffic feed
• News – events and notices

HOW TO ACCESS THE PLATFORM

1) Visit https://infoportal.cbrta.co.za/Trade-Logistics.

2) Click on Register to sign up as a standard user and select your username and password.

3) Enter your username and password, and click Log In.

4) The platform will load and you will be able to navigate the sections described above.

C-BRTA highlights ways to improve intra-Africa trade

Sibulele Dyodo, C-BRTA executive manager: facilitation and advisory, led a delegation to the Transport Evolution West Africa Conference in Ghana in June 2024. In his presentation, “Initiatives to enhance the seamless movement of freight in the broader region”, Dyodo discussed infrastructure challenges obstructing the seamless movement of trade across borders and contributing to low levels of intra-Africa trade.

He highlighted border posts as one of the biggest impediments in this regard, and emphasised the benefits of establishing one-stop border posts (OSBPs) and formal truck stops along transport corridors. He also encouraged the development of risk-based systems for improving the regulatory environment. This can be done not only by enhancing regulatory efficiency, operator compliance, and road safety, but also by rewarding compliant traders and transporters via fewer inspections along transport corridors and faster clearance processes at border posts.

The Authorised Economic Operator – Operator Compliance Accreditation System (AEO-OCAS) being implemented in the SADC region is a good example of a risk-based system. OCAS is driven by C-BRTA, while AEO is driven by the South African Revenue Service (SARS).