Empowerment company provides project expertise

THERE’S NOT much about shipping that Nisa Dawood hasn’t been involved in during her eighteen years in the industry. The director of newly-established empowerment company Afrilogix is a specialist in project cargo, particularly into Africa, which is the main thrust of the company she set up in Johannesburg last September. But its product portfolio extends to the full range of supply chain and logistical services - airfreight, seafreight, customs, railfreight, warehousing, chartering - areas in which Dawood has notched up considerable experience. After completing a basic shipping course in 1985, she started her career in Durban as an entry clerk, framing entries manually for a company in the textile industry. She subsequently moved into exports, airfreight and the handling of bulk and charter business at Island View Storage, before moving to Johannesburg where she was involved chiefly in international logistics, most recently as the projects manager at SDV. Dawood thrives on challenge, but a degree in administration provides the methodical and systematic qualities that project cargo demands. She’s been involved in plenty of nail-biting undertakings demanding precision, zero tolerance when it comes to deadlines, and an ability to co-ordinate a range of service providers, sometimes as many as seven. A particularly daunting challenge involved the movement of ballot papers to Nigeria last year. Meeting the stringent deadlines was the greatest challenge, says Dawood, but the mission was flawlessly orchestrated. She likens project work to a surgical procedure. “You can’t afford to make a mistake, and that’s where Afrilogix expects to carve a niche. “What’s more we can offer our customers peace of mind into Africa where we have the contacts and expertise to ensure safe handling of their cargo.”