Zimbabwean full
service logistics
company Allan Wack
and Shepherd (AWS)
is strengthening its presence
in the Mozambican ports of
Beira and Maputo in order to
reduce delays and costs for its
clients.
This follows the expansion
of the company to provide
services throughout the
region, according to Sheila
Mashiri, managing director.
The AWS service portfolio
includes customs clearing,
forwarding, transportation and
warehousing while the company
has a presence in Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
and South Africa.
“We will continue to provide
our specialised logistics services
from our base in Harare, but our
focus is now regional.
“It is time to expand from our
base in the domestic market,
and to capitalise on the skills,
systems and
network we
have built up,”
she says.
The company
currently has
warehouses
in Harare,
Mutare and
Blantyre.
Both bonded
and general
goods space is
available in the
highly secured facilities.
Freight services within
Zimbabwe include same day and
overnight collection and delivery
making use of its own f leet of
3.5 ton trucks.
Transport is contracted in
for larger loads as part of the
AWS philosophy of working
with existing specialists rather
than trying
to compete
against them.
Where cargo
agents have a
presence on
the ground and
the necessary
expertise
AWS is happy
to leave the
clearing up
to them while
managing the
forwarding and other aspects,
says Mashiri.
“We try to help people where
we can. As long as they can do
the job we will work with the
smaller companies in order to
share the cake,” she says.
In Maputo AWS is making
use of the Matola terminal
to load and consolidate both
inbound and outbound cargo
for the hinterland.
Matola is equipped to handle
most types of cargo.
Customers are successfully
using the route through
Swaziland to reach Maputo, she
says.
AWS decided to use both
Beira and Maputo in order
to evaluate the performance
of the two ports and their
connectivity.
“Beira is Zimbabwe’s port of
choice due to the much lower
costs compared to Durban and
quicker delivery times,” she
says.
INSERT & CAPTION
We will continue to provide
our specialised logistics
services from our base in
Harare, but our focus is
now regional.
– Sheila Mashiri
