Global contracts demand globally acceptable service levels

Project cargo’s lean days are
over, with volumes steadily
increasing as the mining
and infrastructure sectors across
southern Africa flourish.
Sunil Kalu, business
development manager for African
Project Logistics (APL), a
division that focuses on project
cargo within the ICM group of
companies, says considering that
70% of key components that fit
into a project cannot be locally
manufactured, project cargo will
continue to do well. “With the
current boom in the infrastructure,
power, mining and petrochem
sectors, there has been a definite
increase in volumes of imported
project cargo content.”
Having recently handled a
project that saw the movement
of an 80-ton rotor for the Tutuka
power station in the Emalahleni
area, APL is actively involved
in a variety of projects across
southern Africa – especially
in Botswana and in the Tete
area in Mozambique. The
company, established two years
ago, last year made history
when it transported the biggest
transformer ever to be brought
into Africa to the Medupi
Power Station near Lephalale in
Limpopo.
“With commodity prices
improving following the global
economic meltdown, mining
companies have started investing
again and that means an increase
in project cargo,” says Junaid
Ebrahim, projects cost analyst
for APL. “And with world
consumption demands on a
hike again, the industry is set to
continue to grow.”
According to Kalu there is
much opportunity for South
African companies to gain
international experience in
the modern-day project cargo
environment.
“We are competing for
contracts on an international
level and that means we need
to deliver international level
services. Exposure of our
staff to world-class highly
technological projects is a major
boon to our local companies,”
he told FTW. “Project cargo is
the more exciting part of our
business and has its rewards
and benefits. As a proudly
South African organisation and
with our involvement, APL
has international exposure on
a one-on-one basis with world
class OEMs who are currently
executing projects in the country
and Africa. This opens doors
of opportunity for us in the
international arena.”
It is for this reason the company
decided to implement Lean Six
Sigma within its ranks, as this has
become a norm around the world.
“It is about knowing the needs
of each specific project. Southern
Africa has a lot more potential
because of the underground
abundant resources we have that
the world demands. We must
be in a position to service those
projects.”