Recession took its toll but volumes improving

As the official representative of BP Freight in Zambia, clearing and forwarding agent Cee Cee Freight handles up to four groupage trucks a week from Johannesburg to Lusaka. “It’s all general cargo and very seasonal,” says managing director Chris Chiinda. “At times like Christmas and Easter, volumes are much higher and we find as many as four trucks a week moving on the route.” BP Freight consolidates the cargo at its warehouse in South Africa and dispatches it to Zambia where Cee Cee arranges clearance and distribution. “If the client’s address is not known, the shipment will be delivered to us,” says Chiinda, who is all too aware of the challenges faced at the border. “Clearance of consolidations takes too long. One client’s cargo may be cleared in good time and another not. We come in and try to help out in any way we can. Sometimes we offload the shipment and put it in customs custody to speed up the truck. You can’t delay 13 clients just because one client’s cargo has not been cleared. “By making proactive decisions we ensure that cargo is moved through the border to final destination as speedily as possible.” The recession clearly took its toll on volumes as a number of mining companies closed down. “But many are reopening and business is beginning to improve,” says Chiinda, who is upbeat about future growth for Zambia.