Alternative routes circumvent logistics problems in Africa

KEVIN MAYHEW
IT’S IMPORTANT for logistics providers to develop alternative competitive routes for imports and exports to overcome some of the problems associated with freighting in Africa.
James Molokomme, marketing director of Gaborone-based Hoya Removals & Freight Botswana, said new routes could circumvent some of the major obstacles in a market that has also been hit by high fuel prices and low foreign direct investment in industry and manufacturing in Botswana.
There are several concerns right now, he told FTW. These include high freight rates, fuel and congestion surcharges, non-tariff barriers, container deposits levied by shipping lines, double declarations due to non-conforming customs requirements, and unscrupulous importers and clearing and forwarding agents.
“We however intend to increase our market share through aggressive marketing and more efficient service delivery to clients through alternative routing and by increasing our fleet of trucks as well as the construction of our own custom designed depot in Gaborone,” he said.