Manica absorbs Saftainer

THE NAME Saftainer is soon to disappear as it is integrated with five other divisions of Rennies and Manica Transborder operations into a single entity which will operate under the title of Rennies Intermodal Services.
Even that name will change when we have decided on the correct title for the entire operation, says c.e. Paul Reeves, who will supervise the closing down of Saftainer's Cape Town base in mid-June and move to Gauteng to head the new company.
Linked under the single operation will be Saftainer and Roadwing, with Isabel Louw heading that division. The other sectors to be incorporated are Manica Transborder's Malawi and Zambian services, with parts of its Zimbabwe section, Rennies Logistics Africa and Core Cargo Management.
What we are doing is eliminating the parts and realigning the structures into a more workable formation, says Reeves.
Manica will inevitably be the main brand name in the operation, where g.m. Hans Birkholz remains at the helm.
What we have aimed at is developing a thorough customer-focused group into Africa, says Birkholz.
We are upgrading the entire operation with a package which the customers have never seen before.
With the developments into Africa, rail is becoming more and more dominant. You need rail, but we will have full sea, road and air services linked throughout to give the best possible service.
Reeves and Birkholz will be the watchdogs of the transition period with the mammoth restructuring programme now underway. It involves the formation of alliances with hauliers, rail and sea and air carriers demanding careful planning.
Our operations were diversified and never really controlled centrally in the past, says Reeves. Now by networking the group structure, we will have a new, far more satisfactory service to offer the customer.
By Leonard Neill