Confederations Cup kicks off SDV’s soccer logistics success

There is no stopping SDV Durban – from mine equipment to food aid – this is a company on a mission. Having been responsible for the supply and delivery of all the gazebos, marquees and toilets for all the stadia in which the recent Confederations Cup was held, they are proving their mettle. According to Ken McDonald, branch manager for SDV Durban, the Confederations Cup was just one opportunity to show what the company’s capabilities are. “We were very proud to be a part of the Confederations Cup and to have contributed to its success. We are equally excited at the opportunity of contributing to the 2010 World Cup Soccer next year.” The company transported 96 containers of modified toilets which arrived together with all the marquees and gazebos. These arrived in 174 containers on a temporary importation and were delivered to all the various stadia where soccer matches took place during the Confederations Cup. “We have since collected and exported them,” said McDonald. “They will then be re-imported again next year for the 2010 event for which the number of containers is expected to be around 450.” SDV Durban, a part of SDV SA and SDV Africa, which is a logistics brand under the newly branded Bollore Africa Logistics network, is present in over 40 countries and employs over 18 600 permanent staff in Africa. The company specialises in abnormal loads and recently completed the delivery of 266 loads of machinery from Durban to the DCP mine in Kolwezi in the DRC. Says McDonald: “The cargo consisted of four Terex excavators weighing 540 tons each. These were all disassembled and required 17 abnormal loads to transport one complete machine to the mine site some 3 800km away.” He said two major challenges faced were to drive or rig some disassembled pieces under a bridge with a maximum height of 4.8 metres and to cross a raging river via a barge. “We have also been awarded 37 000 tons of food aid that will be warehoused in Durban before being transported by road to different warehouses in Zimbabwe,” said McDonald. “This food aid is critical for Zimbabwe and our challenge will be to deliver the entire tonnage within ten weeks.” McDonald believes that being a successful logistics provider is all about being able to deliver on promises. “It means being in partnership with our customers, especially when the economy is tough such as it is now. We will limp along the same road together, trying to provide an additional crutch that will assist with the limp.” This type of partnership, he says, builds confidence and ensures that the recovery is less painful. Having just moved into new premises in the Riverside Business Park in Durban, SDV Durban has also purchased its own transport company and now has over 400 trucks and 900 different trailer combinations for the transport of cargo into southern Africa.