Positive outlook for truckers on Zimbabwe and Zambia routes

Not all expectations for 2009 are doom and gloom. Leo Shipping, which runs trucks into Zimbabwe and Zambia, believes the next year will see the two landlocked countries even more reliant on South African business. According to Warren Jayes of Leo Shipping, while mining opportunities may be on the decrease, other avenues are being explored in an effort to remain viable. “Our trucks mostly carry inputs for the platinum mines in Zimbabwe while we return with tobacco and cotton, which is packed into containers and exported overseas. The past year was extremely busy for us with a very high demand on trucks resulting in increased rates which helped compensate for the increased fuel and the running costs of trucks,” said Jayes. “We expect 2009 to be just as busy, if not more so, because Zimbabwe especially is under huge pressure to import all raw materials as well as finished products due to non-availability of commodities on their local markets.” According to Jayes, while the global economic situation may impact negatively on the mining industry, opportunities exist in the landlocked Zimbabwe and Zambia for many South African trucking companies. “One new development for Zimbabwe, both to mines and general companies as well as private individuals, has been the surge in grocery items being exported from South Africa. We have found companies have started paying part of salaries in groceries as there is very little to purchase on the shelves of supermarkets in Zimbabwe.” Jayes said despite the economic meltdown worldwide, Zimbabwe and Zambia remained reliant on countries such as South Africa as the majority of their imports had to be road hauled. “We believe there is much potential for South African companies exporting goods on those routes to the mines and other industries alike.”