Improved roads help speed up deliveries

Volumes into Africa have been showing steady growth, especially in light of improving road infrastructure. According to Jan Louw Malherbe, operations manager West Africa for Africross Logistical Solutions, there is a real commitment to improving infrastructure and new roads are being built. “This has an extremely positive knock-on effect with regards to vehicle longevity and also delivery time,” he said. “For the most part there is a lot going on in Africa and in many towns one can see the development taking place.” For Malherbe the outlook in Africa is one of extreme positivity. “Trade barriers are easing up and he expects this trend to continue. The obvious excitement comes from the fact that there is so much room for growth. We are learning lessons on a daily basis and this allows us as a business to continuously grow and become more efficient.” He says already volumes have been increasing and the company has seen steady growth throughout the year. “Our areas of expertise are in Angola and Namibia, while we also work in several other markets including Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia.” Malherbe says while there are many opportunities currently for business in Africa, challenges remain. “Timing for projects is a major issue as one has to plan very carefully and it is sometimes difficult,” he explains. “With Africa already such a high growth market, with so many variables it is important to be able to control the variable factors that form part of the logistical process. We have systems in place to maximise the control we have over cargo – however there will always remain a degree of uncertainty.” At the same time the monetary payment systems between countries due to monetary constraints can also be problematic. “But there are always ways of overcoming the challenges that Africa represents,” says Malherbe. CAPTION Moving forward ... there is a real commitment to improving infrastructure.