Shrinking garment sector takes its toll on hauliers

The impact of the recession
on the Swaziland road
freight sector has been felt
particularly in the decline of
business from Matsapha’s
once-thriving garment
manufacturers. Fewer inputs
are being imported for
manufacturing, and with
customer orders down fewer
finished products go out.
“The recession is being
felt here. We are affected
by what happens overseas.
But the garment makers are
still shipping and we are
still moving forward,” said
Jabu Vilakati, one of the
founding partners of Sharp
Freight in Matsapha.
Moving forward means
diversifying for Sharp
Freight, relying not just on
bulk shipping but expanding
its overnight courier service
and exploring new avenues
of import/export. Additional
courier work has required
some sub-contracting.
“We have our own fleet
of trucks but in some
instances when we find
our vehicles are out of
the country we’ve had to
hire from outside because
we cannot disappoint our
customers,” he said.
A courier service is
nothing new for Sharp
Freight – the service has
been available since 1994,
but this year has seen a new
emphasis, which has led to
a new roster of SA clients.
Sharp Freight handles
airfreight for clients needing
immediate deliveries. The
firm’s routes have expanded
into Botswana and Lesotho,
but SA remains the primary
destination and point of
origin for Swaziland-bound
goods.