Service geared for Angolan buyers

Specialist skills and experience are needed to deliver freight safely into Angola, where roads are either being rebuilt or are in disrepair, says Johan Claassen of Windhoek-based Unlimited Logistics. With a fleet ranging from bakkies to Cooling and Superlinks at its disposal, Unlimited Logistics will transport parcels from a kilogram in weight to full 32-ton cargoes from South Africa all the way through to any destination in Angola, Namibia or neighbouring countries. The service is geared for Angolan buyers who have sourced goods in South Africa and Namibia. Claassen says they have specialised in Angola, because of the challenge, which is both physical and administrative. “We often have to repack entire trucks that have come up from Gauteng because they have been loaded for tar roads, and not the conditions in Angola. Sometimes, where there are detours, the truck will be riding on a shoulder of the road and tilting several degrees. There is also constant movement of the cargo as the truck and trailer flex on the roads,” says Liebenberg. “Our drivers are all very experienced, which is vital if you are to get freight through safely,” adds Claassen. Routing through Angola is not as simple as following a map. “Often it is quicker and safer to take a roundabout route because the direct route is impassable,” says Liebenberg. Some drivers can take as little as five days from Windhoek to Luanda in Angola. Major delays often come at the border if the paperwork is not right and there is no-one to walk it through the customs procedures. “Clearance can take days or weeks if you do not have the right people at the border,” says Claassen. An associate company specialising in clearing and bond in transit, has been formed to bring this service in-house at competitive rates.