Bulk shippers increasingly switch to tanks

East African importers and exporters of bulk liquids are switching from drums to ISO tanks in order to meet growing demand as the economies in the region grow, says Kreason Pillay, managing director of M&S Logistics South Africa. “Through our agency network in East Africa, supported by our South African and global sales teams, we have succeeded in securing a number of new contracts in Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. “We are focusing on those East African countries due to the current growth driven by oil and gas exploration. “There is a growing demand for liquid products in bulk rather than the conventional drums,” he says. Pillay is confident that the demand will continue to increase: “This is a fastgrowing market which we have been in for many years. “We are well known to many of the importers and exporters in the East African countries and our continuous efforts are bearing fruit. We expect to see our trade lanes from the Far East, Middle East, Europe, USA and South Africa increase into East Africa,” he says. But prospects extend beyond the coastal cities and countries. “East Africa opens the logistical link for delivery into many land-locked countries. “The infrastructure seems to be improving. While the costs have increased we have also seen better service delivery.” “Although the market in Africa is starting to take notice of the importance and realistic value of using ISO tanks, and starting to order products in bulk, we still have a long way to go to reach the market potential. “This is a work in progress. With added marketing efforts from M&S we are seeing the business grow,” he adds. INSERT East Africa opens the logistical link for delivery into many land-locked countries. – Kreason Pillay