OVERBORDER ROAD transport specialist Ikamiji Freight has restructured and refocused to position itself for the growth boom in Africa.
Managing director Kevin Gesseau will move away from day to day operations when a new general manager takes over on June 1.
Gesseau will concentrate on service levels, marketing and sales as well as the company's offices across the border. His immediate objective is to open a Malawi office in May next year and to grow the Mozambique operation where trade last year increased by 53%, he told FTW.
Ikamiji has streamlined its operation by moving to new premises in Steeledale this month bringing together administration, operations and a concrete yard under one roof. A major departure has been its substantial investment in new vehicles. Since the purchase of its first truck three years ago, the company now boasts a fleet of thirteen new trucks with 21 further vehicles on the order sheet over the next four and a half years.
It's a total change of direction for us, says Gesseau, who has however assured current contractors that they won't be let down.
With the growth of business into Mozambique we felt that for consolidations and blue chip clients we needed to control our own destiny.
He intends to use Ikamiji-owned trucks for Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi while subcontracting to Zimbabwe.
We have huge confidence in the growth of overborder business, said Gesseau, who does however see little improvement in the near future in trade with Zimbabwe where business for the company has fallen off around 50%.
While Mbeki's stance on the Zimbabwe question has attracted strong criticism from many quarters, Gesseau believes that it has protected truckers' interests in the region.
Imagine the hassle we would have had as truckers to Zimbabwe if he had taken a stronger stand.
And nor does he believe that the rand's decline can be blamed on waning confidence in Mbeki's position on Zimbabwe. It's rather the result of the overvalued dollar.
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