Haulage major seeks BEE or forwarding partner

NOW INTO its tenth year of operation, haulage company Ikamiji Freight has seen dramatic growth since its launch, and there’s no standing still. Established as a major operator on the Mozambique route, and having acquired a substantial fleet of vehicles which are now fully owned, the company is ready for the next step, says managing director Kevin Gesseau. The French-born dynamo arrived in South Africa in June 1990 with nothing, joined UTi for four years, and set up his own company in May 1994. A political science graduate, Gesseau had joined the special forces in France before his arrival in this country. He sees two key options for the future growth of Ikamiji - a joint venture with a freight forwarder or a partnership with a BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) company. “And that doesn’t necessarily mean that I retain a majority shareholding,” Gesseau told FTW. It’s an idea that took root after a recent approach by a major stock exchange-listed company in Mauritius which was keen to take over the company. After protracted negotiations, the deal fell through, but it planted the seed. Gesseau believes that for the company to grow beyond its current size, it needs a capital boost. But more than that it needs global exposure to grow its blue chip customer base. He’s willing to open his books to interested parties, he told FTW. “We serviced 99 different customers in June, handling 166 shipments and issuing 63 export documents. We are one of the oldest Germiston customs stakeholders. “Ikamiji does eight shipments a day to Mozambique. We’re currently looking at developing Angola as well as groupage between Maputo and Beira. “All our staff have the expertise, they’ve been with the company for many years, and we have major contracts with three substantial South African companies.” A bar-coding system is currently being introduced into the warehouse which adjoins the recently expanded office premises in Steeledale.