Gaborone-based logistics company goes regional

The Gaborone-based Imperilog group has started operating from Gauteng as part of the group’s plans to expand into the rest of Southern Africa, according to KP (Vijay) Vijayakumar, group managing director. He says the expansion is preparing the company for the planned Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) free trade area. In August this year, the 14 heads of state met in Windhoek, and set new time-frames for the roll-out of the free trade area and introduction of one-stop border posts. According to BuaNews, an expert group was tasked to identify ways of speeding up the customs union. It is expected to report back to the SADC by December 2011. “This will make a big difference to trade in the region,” says Vijayakumar. The 10-year-old Imperilog specialises in high-value bonded cargo, and has expanded from customs clearing into warehousing and distribution. Started as part of the Imperial group, Imperilog Botswana is now independent, and works with a number of regional and international forwarding agencies, he says. The company has expanded from its core customs business in anticipation of the opening up of regional trade, and now offers a full logistics solution. It has also opened an office at the Martin’s Drift border post north of Gaborone, he says. Vijayakumar says the company has been active in South Africa for a “long time,” and is licensed by the South African Revenue Service as a clearing agent. Its new Gauteng operations include a bonded warehouse. Express and consolidation freight services are being provided between Gauteng and Gaborone. Courier services are offered in-house by TNT. “We now have everything in the group,” he says. All movements are monitored through a live track and trace system, which was designed for the high value cargo around which the Imperilog business was built.