JIT facility saves Zambian retailers 'a fortune'

Customers are increasingly
tuning into the benefits of
free container rental for cargo
moving on the Johannesburg-
Zambia route, according to
Celtic Freight commercial
manager Aileen
Ryan.
“This applies
to 6m, 12m
and 1.5m
containers,”
Ryan told FTW.
“We believe
hauliers and
brokers are
charging
clients unfairly
for renting
containers, as well as the
return of the container back
to South Africa, which is
why we have opted for the
‘no cost’ route.”
It’s one of several costefficiency
interventions that
Celtic – which has depots in
Johannesburg and Lusaka
– believes is critical in the
current tough economic
climate.
In order to
help cut down
on storage and
warehousing
costs, Celtic will
hold customers’
cargo in its
Johannesburg
depot after
packing at
no cost if the
client needs
time to sort out paperwork
or payment issues in Zambia.
“Not only does this help with
storage costs, it also provides
assurance to the importer that
his cargo is in fact ready to go
and payment can go ahead.”
An additional service that
Ryan said “has saved some of
the large retail organisations
a fortune in storage and
warehousing costs” is Celtic’s
“Just in Time” solution for
Zambia importers. “Cargo
is moved in containers to
our terminal in Lusaka and
is then held “in stock” until
their operations are ready
to receive the cargo.
Our Zambia operation
will then deliver
nationwide.”
As the use of
containers has
increased, greater
efficiencies have
helped to cut costs.
“Amazingly we
can actually offer
cheaper rates than breakbulk
cargo for light volumetric
business,” she said.
INSERT & CAPTION
We can offer cheaper
rates than breakbulk
cargo for light
volumetric business.
– Aileen Ryan