Independent companies pool resources to improve customer service

In trying economic times, diversity and innovation may just be the name of the game. And for those reasons Ka Go 2 Go, Cargo 2 Congo, Whitelion and Nyati Cross Border have pooled their knowledge and expertise, broadening their reach by joining forces while still operating as individual companies. “It just made sense to work together as it gives us an added value and we are all able to service our clients better,” says Richard Hall of Ka Go 2 Go. “We all operate independently, but at the same time we can join forces to provide customers with access to a fleet of more than 100 vehicles if required.” And they can offer access to most southern African countries. With each company specialising in a specific country, the client gets the benefit of the knowledge and experience, says Sandra De Kock, director of Whitelion. “Because we remain independent companies, we retain our niche markets. We are therefore not competition to each other, but rather complement each other’s business.” With Nyati Cross Border specialising in Angola, Cargo 2 Congo in the Congo, Ka Go 2 Go in Zambia and Whitelion in Mozambique, the four companies can go further together than they would have done alone. “We have also all been let down at some point or another by subcontractors,” says Gary Hall of Cargo 2 Congo. “Having reliable partnerships is very important and by working together we are putting our names alongside each other and that takes trust. But because there is trust, there is also dependability.” Friedel Kirstein of Nyati Cross Border agrees. He says having access to a larger fleet, and being able to rely on the experience of the other companies, makes business sense. “You are also extending your reach exponentially and you don’t have to be an expert on every region, because you have access to the various experts.” And there is no doubt that there is strength in diversity, says De Kock. “You can now service a bigger clientele because your infrastructure and resources are so much bigger.”