African Transport Operations Agency (ATOA) – which specialises in running its own road transport fleet into Angola – has recently opened a warehouse and cold storage facility in Luanda. “Investment and development into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region seems to be on the up as companies look to capitalise on the strongest markets with the most growth potential,” said Chris Zoeller, who focuses on business development for ATOA. He told FTW that working with South African-based partners, such as ATOA, had given these companies peace of mind. “There is a sense that South Africa is the safe stepping stone for doing business in SADC and the opportunities for growth on the back of this are plentiful,” said Zoeller. ATOA also acts as a transport broker for the rest of the SADC region, using its partnerships to select and utilise hauliers who specialise in these routes. “In order to ensure prompt border crossings, we have appointed agents in all the neighbouring territories and they are able to assist importers at destination with documentary requirements in these foreign countries with our own offices in Angola and full customs clearing services at Santa Clara,” added Zoeller. “Because of these partnerships, we have first-hand knowledge of the route planning, customs policy with regards to border crossings, and road conditions along the route,” he pointed out. ATOA’s services include full and part load cargo, consolidated loads, bulk and breakbulk cargo, warehousing solutions and Incoterm2010 specific support.
