‘Riding the ups and downs is what it’s all about’

The changing face of Swaziland’s
Matsapha Industrial Estate mirrors
the growth of the country’s industrial
and transport sectors. From a
farmer’s field a generation ago, a
sprouting of factory shells and truck
yards has expanded each year, with
residents like Sharp Freight, the
largest Swazi-owned clearing and
forwarding firm, moving with
the times.
“Business is sometimes seasonal,
it can be up or down, but the
general trend is toward growth – in
this business, in the economy, at
Matsapha,” said Jabu Vilakati, one of
Sharp Freight’s founding partners.
“We move general goods. Textiles
– inputs coming and exports to take
out – are seasonal, and are down this
year. But we’ve been busy overall,
carrying everything that comes
through the door. A transporter must
do that, and have the right equipment
and also be prepared to ride the ups
and downs of this business,”
said Vilakati.
Sharp Freight handles airfreight
for clients who need immediate
deliveries. The firm’s routes
have expanded into Botswana and
Lesotho, but SA remains the primary
destination and point of origin for
Swaziland-bound goods.