Growing its Gauteng footprint remains a key strategy for South African Inland Logistics (SAIL) which has invested heavily in its operations in the province. According to Vinay Chavan, branch manager in Gauteng, the acquisition of a City Deep permit was the first step – and while it took some time it has already proven to be worthwhile. “Not many companies have these permits and therefore we believe it will be a very big positive for us in growing our business out of City Deep.” He said while the terminal remained challenging – with congestion and delays still a concern – having a firm presence in Gauteng was vital for the company. Chavan said new premises between Bedfordview and Edenvale had allowed them to extend their Gauteng fleet to six trucks and trailers as they now have ample parking as well as a service bay. It has also facilitated significant expansion of warehouse space. “We also have much more yard space which has allowed us to increase our capacity. In the pipeline is the acquisition of the necessary equipment that will allow us to store containers on the premises as well.” He said while volumes were steady at the moment, the economic crunch continued to impact. “Having invested in our Gauteng operations we believe that when volumes do increase we will be in a prime position to take advantage of that.”
