'SA not taking advantage of African opportunities'

South African suppliers are not taking full advantage of the opportunities offered in the oil and gas industry into Africa. “Our big chemical suppliers need to get more actively involved and compete with the Far East, United States and European suppliers. M&S Logistics can assist with our bulk liquid logistics and storage solutions,” says managing director Kreason Pillay. He told FTW there were currently numerous opportunities in West and East Africa. “We are currently active in Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya,” said Pillay. He concedes that there are challenges hampering growth in the sector – including poor terrain, transport problems, handling issues at sites, storage problems, customs clearing issues and more – but adds that M&S Logistics has found “many solutions” to these obstacles, using its equipment. “M&S is very involved in the oil and gas sector in West and East Africa and we are affiliated to many of the large suppliers and forwarding agents within the region, including those specialising in oil and gas movement,” said Pillay. M&S Global managing director for the United Kingdom and Caspian region, Steve Shaw, says that West Africa takes the second largest percentage of the company’s global oil and gas business (19%). The Caspian region takes the lion’s share with 49% and the Middle East 16%. Scandinavia, the Asia- Pacific region and Europe make up the rest.