Motor vehicle assembly signals economic recovery

More evidence that the Zimbabwean
economy is on the road to recovery
is that the importation of completely
knocked down (CKD) packs for
vehicles assembled at plants in
the country has restarted, says
Andrew Kuster, country manager for
Safmarine in Zimbabwe.
The shipping line operates a dry
port in Harare and Bulawayo which
serves freight landed in. Durban,
Maputo and Beira and then shipped
overland mainly by rail to the
Zimbabwean capital, he says.
Safmarine handles mineral exports
for a number of mines, with much of
this cargo being taken by road and rail
to Beira and Maputo, and then into
containers because of the weight of
the ore, he says.
Some high-value concentrates and
ores are shipped in containers, but
the demand is for 20-foot units, again
because of weight limitations. This
has resulted in a ‘skewed’ mix of 40
and 20-foot containers in Zimbabwe,
as most imports come in 40 footers,
he says.
Exports handled by Safmarine on
behalf of its clients include chrome,
graphite, tea, coffee, nuts , tobacco,
cotton and hides.
The line provides a 16-day service
from Maputo to Malaysia, and then on
to China and the rest of the East on a
1 700 TEU vessel.
Safmarine has also facilitated
some innovative smart partnerships
with the rail authorities whereby
customers fund the refurbishment of
rail trucks and rail sidings in return
for preferential treatment.
Kuster is passionate about service
in a highly competitive market.
Safmarine runs twice-yearly
surveys with its clients to identify
any problem areas. “We respond
to each and every problem raised
in the survey. The result has been
an increase in client loyalty as our
service levels continuously improve,”
he says.
An essential element of the
Safmarine culture is to get involved
with the local community, and
Safmarine Zimbabwe is helping
refurbish and rebuild a school
outside Harare. Founded in 1947 as
a farm school, it did not have the
facilities needed to accommodate
600 pupils.
Clients of Safmarine have also
stepped in and helped with donations
of building materials, he says. A
nursery donated 100 plants to beautify
the grounds.
Two new classrooms and offices
have been built, with a converted
container now serving as an office for
the head mistress.
“This support for a community
project by our customers shows that
people are positive about the future,”
says Kuster.