‘Solid relationships key to project success’

As more companies expand into Africa, so do project cargo opportunities increase on the continent. “We are seeing a strong movement into Africa as companies establish new markets,” Lesley Haw, managing director of Sanguine Logistics International, told FTW. “Growth also continues in areas such as infrastructure, mining, energy, telecommunications and even agriculture. We are therefore very upbeat for 2014, particularly in the project cargo sector.” New projects are set to kick off in East Africa in the next few months, said Haw. “At the same time there are also a number of smaller project cargoes coming into South Africa. “Sanguine’s core focus at present is on Africa and over the past two years we have taken the time to develop a reliable, established multi-service offering into Africa.” For Haw this has meant developing comprehensive project logistics solutions tailored to meet specific requirements from clients. “And we continue to hone our craft,” she said. “We are investing further in technology and in our people. Our aim this year is to master operational excellence and place a greater emphasis on process automation without compromising customer satisfaction. Our business model emphasises the importance of time-to-market and the flexibility to respond with speed and agility to our customers’ needs.” Haw explained that in light of increased business, the company has had to expand not only in South Africa but across Africa. A fully operational office in Durban, headed up by branch manager Helen Thompson, will be used to boost the company’s growing project cargo work. “2013 was a fantastic year for us. We completed a number of projects in the SADC region and gained additional customers in Africa. We also completed a number of smaller project cargo movements in South Africa and the Middle East. This has led to additional projects for 2014 and so we expect to continue growing this year.” INSERT & CAPTION Our aim this year is to master operational excellence and place a greater emphasis on process automation without compromising customer satisfaction. – Lesley Haw