Providing and end-to-end logistics chain

Freight patterns between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia show the strong inter-dependence of the economies of these neighbouring countries says Ronaldo Chilembo of NIK International Logistics. Zambia serves as the conduit for the bulk of DRC exports. In return mining equipment, chemicals, fuel and other inputs travel through Zambia into the DRC. Zambia also provides food staples such as rice and maize meal to the DRC Copperbelt. Founded in 2004 in the DRC, NIK has grown into a regional company with offices in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the DRC. “Our objective has been to create a logistics chain from the DRC to South Africa which we control from end to end. This means that clients do not have to worry about their freight being handled by a third party. “Given that duty rates, customs clearance, and entry processes vary from country to country, expert local knowledge is critical. “NIK International has the network and the staff to handle these challenges,” he says. Services provided by NIK include clearing and forwarding, SADC certificates of origin, the movement of cargo in bond, consolidation and transport.