Express major SkyNet
Worldwide Express is
planning to ramp up its
presence in Africa as part
of its focus on high-growth
emerging economies.
The company has
35 hubs and delivers
daily to over 450 towns
within southern Africa.
The decision to grow its
African footprint follows
better-than-expected local
growth, says the company’s
general manager Eugene
Swanepoel.
“Our growth has
not been on the back
of existing clients but
new market share. We
implemented a very
focused growth strategy in
which we clearly identified
the market segments we
wanted to target and the
service types we wanted to
grow,” he told FTW. “Part
of that overall strategy
is our African expansion
programme which will
see us expanding into one
African country a year
to further enhance our
already established agents’
network.”
With offices in
Mozambique, Botswana
and Namibia, the company
will open its Tanzania
branch by June this year.
Zambia is next on the list
with an office due to open
by no later than mid-2014.
The approach is not fast
and furious, he said, but
rather a well-structured
and researched venture that
will establish the company
as a serious player in the
African express parcel and
courier segment.
“One cannot head into
Africa on the back of
rumours. It is important
to do one’s homework
well and to be prepared.
There is always a tendency
to underestimate the
complexity of Africa –
no matter how prepared
one is. It is therefore our
intention to grow our
African footprint slowly,
but properly – one country
at a time.”
Swanepoel said an
African-focused strategy
made sense in light of the
growth being experienced
on the continent. “There
are a lot of things
happening on the ground
– from new mines to oil
and gas explorations and
projects in a variety of
sectors. Along with all
of that comes the other
development, all of which
bodes well for the courier
and express business.”
He said in light of
ongoing economic
instability, now more than
ever it was important for
companies to develop
diversified market
segments.
Swanepoel said while
they were very focused
on Africa, their South
African business was
also getting attention
with new technology
having been developed
to protect high-value
goods.
“We are in the process
of implementing this new
technology which has
an early detection
dashboard
in place.
Along with
the track
and trace and the camera
technology that we already
use, this will add an extra
level of security, allowing
us to monitor our parcels
much more closely.”
CAPTION
Eugene Swanepoel ... new technology developed to
protect high-value goods.
