SWAZILAND’S LATEST provider of overnight and express cargo delivery, African Express, opened its doors in December 2003 within the spacious Matsapha premises of Unitrans, one of Swaziland’s oldest and largest road freight companies. “Our overheads are lower. It helps us stay competitive. There is a lot of competition in the delivery business, and every edge helps,” said Sarina Plet, who runs the South African firm’s Swaziland office. Unitrans is a shareholder, hence the companies’ office arrangement. For large shipments, African Express uses Unitrans trucks. Their regular load is dispatched in their own four vehicles, one-ton bakkies and a four-tonner truck, which ply the Swaziland to Johannesburg route. African Express has an office in downtown Mbabane to handle walk-in traffic. Otherwise, customers’ packages are picked up in a fleet of six Taz compact cars. “There is a big difference between our rates and the big operators. Lower rates are essential in this business,” said Plet. The company is happy with its Swaziland subsidiary’s first year of growth. After the first half-year of establishing themselves with Swazi businesses, African Express saw a 40% growth between June and December 2004. For the future, the company sees the need for specialised service. “We need to get our name out there, and go for niche business. You have blue chip companies here in Swaziland – Swaziland Breweries, Coca-Cola – and there is big business there, but also with the many smaller and growing companies,” said Plet.
