Forum urges cargo reforms as Harare plans airport cargo village by year-end

Forum urges cargo reforms as Harare plans airport cargo village by year-end

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A high-level aviation and logistics forum in Zimbabwe has called for stronger co-ordination among cargo stakeholders and the introduction of clear performance standards, amid plans to establish a dedicated cargo village at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare by the end of this year.

The meeting, convened by Aviation Ground Services (AGS), brought together freight forwarders, ground handlers, airport authorities and regulators to discuss bottlenecks affecting air freight and to map out reforms aimed at improving speed, reliability and competitiveness in Zimbabwe’s cargo chain.

The session was moderated by FastJet Zimbabwe corporate affairs manager Nunurai Ndawana. Discussions focused on delays in clearance, capacity uncertainty and gaps in cold chain handling that exporters say are pushing cargo to route through regional hubs such as Johannesburg or Nairobi.

Washington Dube of the Shipping and Forwarding Agents Association identified reliability as the central challenge for freight forwarders and clearing agents.

“The single biggest challenge is the issue of reliability or consistency. The question every agent is asking is: will my cargo be cleared today, or will it be delayed?” Dube said.

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Dube said the absence of formal service level agreements (SLAs) between key actors—including ground handlers, customs, airport operators and other regulators—means there is no binding standard for how quickly cargo should move through the system and no accountability when delays occur. He proposed indicative targets of two hours for general cargo and six hours for perishables, arguing that same-day cargo release should be the norm rather than “an exception”.

From an operations perspective, AGS representative Shingirai Ruombwa highlighted pressure points such as peak-time congestion when large consignments arrive while freighters are loading, as well as the added risk of maintaining cold chain integrity for temperature-sensitive exports.

Ruombwa also pointed to infrastructure gaps for specialised cargo, saying there are no dedicated airside holding facilities for certain sensitive categories, citing live animals as an example. He advocated for a shared cargo “community system”—a digital platform allowing all parties to co-ordinate clearance in real time and share shipment data to support pre-arrival processing and reduce dwell time.

Airport Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) representative Passmore Dewa told the forum that while recent airport development efforts have leaned towards passenger operations during the post-pandemic recovery period, cargo infrastructure is now being positioned as a priority area.

According to the forum report, ACZ’s next major phase includes a dedicated cargo village at Harare International Airport, with plans said to be at an advanced stage and a targeted launch by year-end, followed by a second phase. The development is expected to include purpose-built cold chain facilities, with a combination of repurposed existing airside structures and new construction.

ACZ also outlined ongoing ICT transformation, including implementation of a new ERP system and automation of vehicle access, security and bus systems, which the company said would be operational by year-end.

Participants said Zimbabwe’s fresh produce exports—such as vegetables, cut flowers and other perishables—represent a major air cargo opportunity but are highly vulnerable to clearance delays and cold chain failures. The forum noted that extended dwell time can reduce shelf life and lower sale value in key markets such as Amsterdam, London and Frankfurt, affecting competitiveness and contracts.

The forum’s recommendations included establishing binding SLAs across stakeholders, creating a cargo community digital platform, accelerating the cargo village development with cold chain capacity and specialised handling areas, introducing risk-based customs processes that fast-track low-risk consignments, and maintaining a regular multi-stakeholder forum to review performance data and enforce standards.

For exporters and traders in Mashonaland Central, improved air cargo reliability is viewed as key to reaching high-value markets and reducing losses caused by delays—particularly for time-sensitive agricultural produce and other goods that depend on predictable logistics.

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