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.