Sanguine opens in Durban

18 Oct 2013 - by Adele Mackenzie

Johannesburg-based
company, Sanguine
Logistics, opened a Durban
branch this month as part
of an ongoing growth
strategy.
“Since launching the
company in 2012, we’ve
seen phenomenal growth
and it made sense to have
a more hands-on presence
at South Africa’s biggest
port,” said managing
director Lesley Haw. Helen
Thompson, appointed as the
Sanguine Logistics branch
manager, told FTW that the
Durbanbased
industry expected to deal
with a local. “They want
to see an 031 number,”
she said. The volume of
goods into Durban – as the
first port of call to South
Africa for sea freight – and
the exports from there
into Africa by Sanguine
motivated the decision
to establish a presence in
KwaZulu Natal. “We also
do a lot of logistics around
structural steel and Durban
is home of the heart of that
industry,” added Haw.
Sanguine, which is strong
on exports into Africa,
attributes its growth since
inception to having built
a robust agent network in
Africa as well as building its
business on relationships.
“Despite great strides in
technology, the freight
industry is still a people
business and we recognise
that clients need consistency
and reliability,” said Haw.
And that means partnering
with the right logistics
service providers. “Our
mutual success, as service
providers and suppliers,
lies in collaboration and
ensuring we over-deliver
on a client’s needs,” she
noted, adding that 40% of
Sanguine’s business comes
from referrals.
To meet the over-delivery
challenge, technology
and skills development
play crucial roles. “Using
technology correctly is not
about reinventing the wheel,
it’s about finding a smarter,
faster, more efficient way of
doing business,” commented
Haw. The company is
currently developing a
new website that will
allow customers to
request quotes, finalise
bookings and obtain
costings online. Two
staff members are
currently being trained
to manage the online
interactivity.