ILA records significant growth in exports

Growing its Western Cape footprint in 2013 is high on the agenda of International Liner Agencies (ILA) which is working on several strategies to up its game in the province. While most of the organisation’s business focus has been on Durban and Johannesburg, its Cape Town branch has been making inroads – adding more than its fair share to the total revenue pool. According to Cape Town branch manager Gary Bedser, in the six years since he took over the branch it has more than doubled its staff complement. “Our exports have grown by 30-40% in the past two years,” he said. “The Western Cape plays a major role in our industry as it is a gateway to both East and West Africa where major developments are under way. A lot of our retail distribution centres are also based in the Cape – along with the bulk of the food and beverage industry. The opportunities are endless.” For Bedser a major challenge, however, remains the undercutting of rates, something he says continues to hamper the industry. “We need to get to the stage where clients understand the value of service in relation to rate. Offering a rate structure that is below cost does not equate with great customer service,” he said. ILA has put together a customer service team that works with both sales and operations teams ensuring the customer is kept informed of what is happening all the time. “We have also worked extremely hard at selecting a well-established overseas agency network,” he said. “Our agents regularly visit the country to meet with clients and gain a clearer understanding of the local market and the challenges it faces.” CAPTION Gary Bedser … ‘rate under-cutting a major problem.’