Oil and gas sectors create African growth opportunties

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.