Growth in the oil and gas
sector in southern, West
and East Africa is opening
opportunities for Crane
Worldwide Logistics to
expand its presence in the
region this year, said Kelvin
Ganas, country manager
South Africa.
“We are targeting Ghana
and Tanzania due to the oil
and gas developments in the
region, and hope to have
grown our presence through
local agency representation
in both these countries
by the end of the year,”
said Ganas. He noted that
Crane already had offices
in Pemba, Mozambique.
“We hope to strengthen
our Johannesburg office
as a hub for the oil and gas
industries into Africa,”
he said. Using the hub
approach, Crane Worldwide
has been able to provide
solutions that reduce
transportation cost and
transit time, he added.
Mining, energy and the
high-tech sectors are also a
focus for growth in South
Africa. “Initially we had a
presence in South Africa
through a local agency,
but since opening our own
office in March last year
we have seen exceptional
growth and hope to
continue building on that
for the year ahead,” said
Ganas. The company has
enjoyed success by focusing
on specific niche sectors, he
added.
One of the biggest
challenges, he told FTW,
has been understanding
customs procedures and
complying with them,
especially with all the
changes over the past
year – and changes going
forward. “As a global group,
we have a strong compliance
programme because we
believe it mitigates risks
and ensures a high level
of customer service in
every country we invest
in,” noted Ganas. He said
a customs expert had been
appointed recently to help
ensure customs compliance,
particularly as Crane
Worldwide South Africa is
heavily involved in imports,
mainly from Europe and the
Far East, as well as some oil
and gas-related equipment
exports from the United
States with transhipments
to Mozambique.
CAPTION
The oil and gas industry in Africa, such
as this operation in Ghana, provides
opportunities for logistics growth.
