Regional network makes the difference for forwarder

Moving project cargo into Africa for the mining industry has become a major speciality for the shipping and forwarding operation, Multilog. And, according to major client Ken Green, group supply manager for Randgold Resources, this has become a highly efficient exercise. Multilog’s most recent and future mining projects include the Morila and Somilo (Loulo) gold mines in Mali, as well as the mines at Tongon in the Ivory Coast, Kibali in the DRC, and Gounkoto in Mali. In a recently completed mining project, Multilog transported 63 000 freight tons of cargo from ports around the world via African ports to various points within the continent. This eight-month project included cargo from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Jeddah, Europe and North America. “As you can imagine,” said Multilog project development executive, Richard Quinton, “there are many factors when moving such large volumes of cargo – as well as the precision it takes to arrange the transport of such cargo. “Multilog has managed to successfully purchase and ship the specialised equipment needed to move heavy and large objects within a meagre two-week time frame. “The purchase of this equipment, its on-time delivery and the arranging and co-ordination of between 194 and 221 vehicles per vessel, have proven to be invaluable to our clients – as, in mining, time is money.” The company’s chain of offices in Johannesburg, Senegal, Mali, Guinea- Conakry, Ivory Coast and Ghana allows it to optimise, implement, operate and manage any element in a supply chain, according to Quinton. “We have the ability to communicate effectively with the country members. This gives our clients the upper hand in the transport of their goods, and the benefit of having just one logistics operator to oversee the entire supply chain.”