‘Ship direct to Swaziland – and save money’

Jabu Vilakati, Shedreck Mnisi and Service Magagula, co-owners of Sharp Freight, are on a mission to save the country’s merchants money on transport costs by urging them to ship directly into the country rather than sourcing goods from SA. “There are many Asian businesses in Swaziland. I did my research. I visited them and asked questions. I learned they buy their stock from South Africa. We can consolidate in China. That’s what we do, consolidation. If you purchase and ship your merchandise direct to Swaziland, you by-pass the middlemen,” I told them,” said Vilakati. Vilakati’s research found that purchasing from middlemen adds 20% to Swazi merchants’ costs. Also they are charged 14% of the goods’ value by Sars, and an additional 14% by the Swaziland Revenue Authority. “They can claim a VAT refund from Sars, but it is never 100% and some merchants are not claiming at all. That means they are paying 28% tax on their goods. That can be halved by shipping directly to Swaziland, for an overall cost saving of at least 38%,” Vilakati said. To make shipping easier, Sharp Freight introduced an overnight economy service, modelled on a courier service, which commenced in May.