Adapting to change is part
and parcel of business
survival, and Bidvest SACD –
whose launch coincided with
that of containerisation in
South Africa 40 years ago – has
reinvented itself to compete on a
totally new playing field.
The company handled the first
container shipment through
Durban from The Langeberg –
having been awarded the sole
South African Revenue Services
(SARS) licence as custodians
of LCL and uncleared FCL
cargo on behalf of SARS. And
a certificate from Safmarine
acknowledges the historic event.
“The Durban, Johannesburg
and Cape Town facilities – all
strategically positioned adjacent
to the container terminals –
were incrementally developed
to cater for increased container
and cargo volumes,” managing
director Paul Cheall told FTW.
Facilities were established at
all major ports including the
inland port of Johannesburg
following an extensive tour and
study of facilities in the UK and
Australia. A
smaller facility
was built on
freehold land
in PE with
Cape Town,
Durban and
Johannesburg
operating
on Transnet
leasehold
property.
A considerable
shift in service
focus over the
past 40 years has however
seen the company expanding
its horizons to adjust to a new
freight and logistics landscape.
“Initially the focus was on
LCL unpacking and overstay
(uncleared) FCL storage and
handling,” Cheall explained.
“However, as the lines
surrendered their control of
LCL cargo,
groupage was
born and the
NVOCCs took
charge of LCL
cargo.
“To remain
relevant and
competitive
in an evermutating
market,
Bidvest SACD
decided to
exit the empty
container business, maintaining
sufficient empty containers to
add value and f lexibility to its
export customers’ needs.”
Its current focus is on
freight handling services in
the field of import and export
management in southern Africa
– and further diversification is
on the cards.
“The future of Bidvest
SACD is to operate as a
container freight station
and tag on additional supply
chain services that add value
for the customer, improve
efficiencies and enhance
profitability through the
leveraging of technology, scale
and strategically positioned
facilities,” Cheall said.
“We operate a particularly
resilient business which has
overcome the financial and
economic challenges of the
last 40 years and is very well
positioned to kick on to greater
heights in the years to come,”
he said.
The future of Bidvest SACD
is to operate as a container
freight station and tag on
additional supply chain
services that add value for
the customer
– Paul Cheall
