Consumer goods keep M&B pumping

“There is a lot of money in Botswana and consumer goods are walking,” says Piet van der Merwe, branch manager of M&B Transport in Botswana. And he should know – the Edcon Group, which incorporates Edgars, Jet and CNA, is M&B’s biggest client. The rest of the cargo they deal with includes car parts, computers and other consumer goods. The company’s depot in Gaborone serves as the hub for distribution of these goods throughout Botswana. “We have up to three 8-tonners arriving from South Africa daily and we then need to consolidate the loads for distribution in Gaborone or along the Francistown or Maun routes. M&B prides itself on going the extra mile and in Botswana it sometimes does require driving for miles to deliver the smallest package to a client,” says Van der Merwe. While acknowledging that he has only been in Botswana for a few short months, Van der Merwe has already identified opportunities for growth and development. “We can triple our customer base by delivering exceptional systems and service. If you start a job right everything will usually run smoothly; if it starts wrong and you then try and put it right it takes so much longer to do. I’d rather spend an extra hour upfront and start by doing things right,” he says.