Specialised team targets minerals market

Africa is a major business
playground for clearing,
forwarding and shipping
company, Aquarius Shipping
International, according to director,
Robert Poverello.
“We conduct business all about
the southern region, with a special
emphasis on Zambia, the DRC,
Malawi and the ports of Mozambique
and SA,” he said, speaking from the
new head office at Waterford Office
Park in Fourways, Johannesburg.
With a major core business in
shipping copper oxide mined in the
DRC, but transported via Zambia,
Aquarius has just marked a new route
for some of its cargo movement.
It has just moved its first shipment
of minerals from Zambia via the
northern Mozambique port of Beira
to China.
“It was very successful under
difficult time constraints,” said
Poverello, “and we were pleased to
get full tonnage shipped on board the
nominated vessel.”
This cargo connection is being
nurtured by his fellow director, Rod
Goncalves, who is heading up the
ASI team formed to forge into the
minerals market in Zambia and
the DRC.
“He is currently looking at opening
a new office in Zambia as well as
negotiating a large contract with
one of the major mining houses,”
Poverello told FTW.
“We have also begun moving our
first tobacco shipments from Zambia,
which have run very smoothly so far.”
This is added to by ASI also
moving large volumes of tobacco
from Tete to Beira for the first time –
another project which Poverello felt
had “proved very successful so far”.
Another part of the Goncalves
portfolio recently has seen him
directing attention to the
Mozambique ports.
“We have just opened a small
office there,” said Poverello, “and
Rod (Goncalves) has been entrusted
with the formation of another office
in Beira which will open in January.”
The Johannesburg arm of the
business has also recently been
dealing with major “Into Africa”
cargo consignments.
ASI has been handling large
volumes of fertiliser through its
warehouse facility in Johannesburg
for end destination Malawi. And on
the same trade route, the company
has been moving polymers from SA
to the Malawian city of Blantyre.
The Durban operation has also
been active, with ASI due to
be moving into its new Durban
warehouse this month – a facility
situated five kilometres from the
current airport.
It has also recently been exploring
new business areas, intent on
overcoming some of the effects of the
economic recession on trade volumes.
“ASI has always been
predominantly a tobacco forwarder,”
said Poverello, “but we decided to
expand our wings and enter into the
handling of all commodities to sustain
us during the quieter periods.”