Durban-based landside logistics company, Silic Logistics, has set its sights on the Cape Town market, according to Warren Sievwright, operations director. “We have been running transport in and out of the Cape for a few years now on flat deck tri-axles and superlinks,” he told FTW, “although recently we have shown more focus on the refrigerated pantechnicon market for fruits and frozen fish.” This is the latest expansion plan for a business that has steadily developed since it started in Durban eight years ago as a cross-border operation handling project cargo into Zambia, DRC, Malawi and Zimbabwe. “It seemed a natural progression that our experience in handling these projects would lead into the live event industry,” Sievwright added. “We’ve handled the logistics programmes for all the major concerts,” he said. “The professionalism of the industry inspires your best efforts. And, as usual in all planning, the variables often lead to ‘on your feet’ thinking which keeps the pressure on.” Since those early days, Silic has become a familiar sight in the Durban harbour, running vehicles from the vessel into the storage facilities and then onward to the client. “We have paid careful attention to our clearing and forwarding (c&f) clients,” said marketing director, Angus Dustan. “They can now count on us to offer them a vessel-to-door, and door-tovessel service.” The management team told FTW that – while they prepare their footprint and growth plan into Cape Town – they are being careful to try not to duplicate their Durban operation. “The Cape is a different market with specific requirements,” said financial director, Nick Fountain, “and we do not want to arrive there over-promising and under-delivering. “Our goal is to introduce our service to the Cape by running from the storage facilities to the consignee – as we have been. But on a larger scale in terms of handling entire contracts. “We are not interested in competing with the local companies. We want to add value through our focused serviceorientated approach – and have spent a lot in the last two years on developing software and systems that add value to both our suppliers and clients.” Silic has three transport divisions – national, cross-border and project logistics – and Sievwright has been tasked with marshalling all three into his approach on the Cape market. “While they operate as separate cost centres with divisional heads, the environment is one where communication and teamwork allow the guys to offer a greater service to the clients,” Fountain said. The approach is to simplify the clients’ administration, Dustan added. “Why phone a reefer company for reefers, then a cross-border company for their expertise, when we are an 08610 number away?” he asked. “We believe that our ‘one phone call, one invoice’ approach allows for accountability as a service provider, and simplicity on reconciliation.”
