Working on Namibia agency Jacques Baudelot . . . well established throughout the African continent. Leonard Neill ADDING IMPETUS to its drive for southern African business, SDV transami has launched an intensive marketing campaign in the region styled the Southern African Region (SAREG) Policy. Spearheading the drive is commercial manager Jacques Baudelot. The Gauteng-based company is already busily handling orders in and out of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and the DRC. “Namibia is not on our list at this stage but we are working on establishing dealings with an agent there, giving us full coverage on the Walvis Bay-to-Maputo corridor,” says Baudelot. But dealings with African nations doesn’t end with those specified in the SAREG Policy. East African regions are already well serviced by the company, which has a strong presence in Mauritius. Madagascar is a current point of focus. SDV recently appointed Claude Theys as its new managing director controlling Africa and based in Gauteng. “We are, in fact, well established throughout the African continent,” says Baudelot, “though dealings with the major West African nations are handled mainly on a direct basis with our French principals, who have dealt with them for a long time. “But what gives us a distinct advantage throughout the continent is the fact that we are represented by either own offices or long established agencies in every nation except for Namibia, and that will be changed in the near future. “Having direct representation means we are confident of our clients having nothing to fear in the movement of their consignments, which we undertake on a door-to-door basis.” SDV transami is a member of the giant Bollore international group headquartered in France. Road transportation throughout Africa is sub-contracted to carriers with whom they have had a long-standing association In South Africa. The SDV group is strictly a forwarding organisation, but in other parts of the continent other sectors of the industry, including stevedoring and ships agency, are part of the office routine.
