Hans Houniet of Excellence Forwarding in Johannesburg has been in the logistics business in South Africa for four decades, and elsewhere before that. But the current slump in business the industry is now witnessing is the worst of his experience. “It is a very, very difficult situation, two full years (of down business) with no end in sight. Business is up a little bit and then down again,” said Houniet, likening the cycles of the past couple of years to a yo-yo that drops on its string but never returns as high as its starting point. However, the firm’s four trucks still ply the Johannesburg to Durban route carrying mainly chemicals and machinery. “World Cup activity yielded a boost in logistics activity, and we have always had the feeling that it’s going to get better,” the veteran logistics man said.
