Construction still under way at Dube TradePort

As it passed its third month in residence at the new premises of Dube TradePort at the just-opened King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) in Durban, Consolidation & Wholesale Cargo reckoned that 98% of the development was now under control, Vivian Ramawter, acting manager for Natal, told FTW. “In July,” he added, “CWC became the first tenant to take occupation in the then unfinished cargo section of the Dube TradePort. “This move followed a management decision at the end of 2009, when shareholders agreed to invest in the Durban operation with a view to building up Durban business.” But the move didn’t prove as easy as CWC hoped for. It was misled by projections and developers’ plans that the Dube TradePort would be functional at the end of July. Although there are still a few ongoing problems at the new facility and some issues still have to be resolved, CWC is determined that it now has the capacity to effectively consolidate cargo. “We have invested money, not only in the move but also in extra staffing and a purpose-designed warehouse programme – using software which was developed in Johannesburg.” To supplement growth, CWC has also adopted an aggressive sales and marketing approach.