Shipping line expects GROWTH on back of automotive sector

With increased
development
in Gauteng’s
automotive
sector – particularly when two
of the three Pretoria-based
automotive manufacturers will
be producing new vehicle models
– the Mediterranean Shipping
Company (MSC) expects to
see growth in the province by
2018.
In the meantime, despite
contractions in the country’s
growth, it is “business as usual”
at the world’s second largest
shipping line’s Gauteng office
– “no matter what” – said MSC
national commercial director,
Glenn Delve.
“We are not a trader or a
buyer or seller of commodities
so our best contribution to
growth is to ensure that we
offer the best possible logistics
service to enhance the trading
attractiveness of Brand South
Africa and
the Gauteng
province,” he
commented,
adding that
Gauteng was
the “undoubted”
business hub of
South Africa.
“We have the
infrastructure in
Gauteng to offer
that service and
we take that a step
further by ensuring MSC offers
a user-friendly, personalised
service,” said Delve.
He told FTW that the
Gauteng office, being inland,
invariably faced some challenges
around road and rail reliability
and infrastructure. “We
have some good days and some
not-so-good days. The only
way to address these is by
continuous
interaction
between MSC
and our service
providers,” Delve
pointed out.
He added that
the company
had seen some
improvement
on some of the
trade corridors
this year. “And,
although Transnet
Freight Rail (TFR) has rightly
placed high importance on
rail connectivity to the coast
to reduce road congestion and
degradation, it still somehow
seems to be an uphill battle for a
modal shift,” Delve said.
INSERT & CAPTION
The best possible
logistics service helps
enhance the trading
attractiveness of Brand
South Africa and the
Gauteng province.
– Glenn Delve