Jo’burg cargo moves through PE to escape Durban congestion

KEVIN MAYHEW DURBAN PORT delays are creating a lucrative niche for the port of Port Elizabeth which is proving to be a viable option for Johannesburg-bound cargo, according to director of Excellence Forwarding, Eric Houniet. “We have found that we can have containers in Johannesburg in the same time that it takes to get them through Durban if we use Port Elizabeth,” he said. “Small and large machinery from Europe is providing a foundation for business.” The company has just bought its own premises in Alberton North, an indication of the positive business climate. “Exports have not been growing as they did in the more recent past but there are certainly imports that we are focusing on,” he said. The company’s coastal offices in Durban and Cape Town, established in the past two years, have been very successful expansions, according to Houniet. In Johannesburg, a new branch manager, Ruth Boddington, has been appointed.