Capital projects will keep Durban buzzing

The number of capital projects
necessary to upgrade and maintain
infrastructure in South and
southern Africa is good news for the Port
of Durban and the local economy, says
Mark Snowball, managing director of
RFB Logistics.
“It will be an ongoing source of work
as a great deal of it is imported through
here. The country is still very dependent
on Durban for export trade as well so
obviously the workflow is ongoing for
us and we are well placed to carry it
out,” says Snowball.
“Our group, Onelogix, is presently in
the process of sourcing, purchasing and
developing a large facility in Durban
to gear up for our planned expansion
in the coming months,” he told FTW.
“The finance is already in place for the
rolling stock and our staff have been
prepared, so we are all ready to make
this expansion happen.”
As the gateway to Africa, Durban
has been kind to the company, says
Snowball, providing a constant stream
of goods to transport whether destined
for “just down the road or deepest,
darkest Africa”.
“At RFB we have been able to get a
slice of the action and this has enabled
us to manage the peaks and troughs of
economic cycles a lot easier,” he said.
Port congestion has however become
increasingly problematic.
The answer, he believes, lies in
the port authorities, city planning and
industry associations working together to
address the issue.
“I believe all parties concerned have
to get around the table in earnest and
find solutions.”