CML expands into ocean freight

COPPER MOVEMENTS from Zambia exported exclusively through South Africa encouraged the UK headquarters of Cargo Management & Logistics (CML) to open a Gauteng office two years ago. Since then the office has also become the base for consolidated loads going northwards not only to Zambia, but also Zimbabwe and Malawi.
"While handling substantial volumes of consolidated traffic," says general manager Lianne Cairns, "we have also expanded into ocean freight exports from South Africa. Currently the higher volumes are from Mpumalanga-based timber exporters who move significant volumes to Europe, North America, the Far East and Australia.
"It is the copper from the copper mines of Zambia, however, which continues to dominate the South African operation, or at least for the foreseeable future. Trucks move the copper from the Zambian Copperbelt to City Deep where it is check weighed, stored and subsequently packed and railed to Durban for export. In addition to Durban, traffic is also routed via Port Elizabeth at times as an alternative port," says Cairns.
"Transport between the Zambian Copperbelt and Gauteng is outsourced, and is controlled by CML's UK head office. However, the UK operation works very closely not only with our Johannesburg office, but also through its Zambian subsidiary Ð Cargo Management & Logistics (Zambia) Ð which in turn has a network of some eight offices, located throughout that country.
"It is the extensive coverage enjoyed by our Zambian operation that is complementing the increasing volumes of northbound traffic between SA and Zambia. While moving more and more northbound, we are also extremely anxious to build on our export base of SA-originating traffic," says Cairns.
CML in Johannesburg has a 1000 sq m office/warehouse complex in Jet Park.