Frick paves the way for 'smooth transitions'

Simba Africa Maritime
(SAM) – which forms part of
the German-owned Deutsche
Afrika-Linien (DAL) Agency
Group of Companies – sees its
takeover as agents of United
Africa Feeder Line (UAFL)
on August 1 this year, as a
“natural progression”.
“This agency appointment
will allow us to create better
synergies within our group,
as UAFL is owned by the
German Rantzau Group,”
said Ron Frick, managing
director of DAL Agency
South Africa. He told FTW
that Seaclad Maritime had
done an “excellent job” but
that it made sense to move
the business under the DAL
umbrella once the current
contract had expired.
“We have taken steps to
ensure a smooth handover.
This includes the fact that,
while the formal handover
date is August 1, Simba Africa
Maritime will commence
the handover process by July
18 to ensure that all SAM
systems affecting UAFL will
be up and running well before
the date of implementation,”
said Frick.
Furthermore, two key
staff members from Seaclad
Maritime, Devin Schoeman
(line manager) and Connie
Pillay (export/import
controller) from the operations
department, have joined SAM
to ensure continuity during
and after the agency handover.
Frick will step down at
the end of this year, after
45 years with the Germanowned
group, to be replaced
by ex-Röhlig Grindrod
Seafreight director, David
McCallum, who joined DAL
Agency in May 2016.
“David is a good fit because
he shares the same core
values that we have at DAL
– customer-centric focus and
reliability,” said Frick.
McCallum told FTW that
his main focus for the group
going forward would be to
ensure the company – with
its various offerings – stayed
customer focused in the face
of “tough economic times”.
Responding to the question
of “how”, McCallum said:
“Ensuring we leverage off our
core competencies to make
certain we continue to deliver
on the undertakings which we
make to our clients.”
He added that DAL Agency
in South Africa was currently
strengthening its sales force
in South Africa to market its
service offerings regionally,
including the added value of
the UAFL feeder line service
as a regional carrier to the
Indian Ocean Islands.
INSERT
MESAWA service
UAFL’s MESAWA service
– for imports and exports
– will be handled by DAL
Simba Africa Maritime
from July.
For imports, the Henry
Rickmers 1607 is expected
to arrive in the port of
Durban on July 20, while
the Centaurus 1607 will
arrive in Durban on July 27.
For exports, the Maersk
Izmir 1608 is expected to
depart from the Port of Port
Elizabeth (PE) on July 23.
The Maersk Inverness 1608
will depart from PE on
July 30.
CAPTION
Handing over the reins… David McCallum (left) and Ron Frick.