New tracking technology expedites sea to rail logistics

Cross border business will be
more essential to Swaziland
Railway’s profitability in 2011
than any time before.
“The transhipments we handle
from South Africa keep us in
business, and we are seeing more
activity there,” Gideon Mahlalela,
CEO of Swaziland Railways since
1993, told FTW.
Minerals are the railway’s chief
cargo, and this past year has seen
an upswing in the product passing
through the kingdom.
“75% of our cargo is rock
phosphate and magnetite shipped
from Phalaborwa. We have hired
extra locomotives to handle
the pick-up in traffic,” reported
Mahlalela.
If they are needed elsewhere
by Transnet Freight Rail, SA
locomotives are swopped for
Swaziland Railway’s locomotives
at Komatipoort for the 290 km
journey to Richard’s Bay.
If as is expected Swaziland’s
government opens up mineral
excavation in the country
in the year ahead, more
domestic mineral cargo,
particularly coal, will add to
the rail system’s traffic.
At the company’s Inland
Container Depot or “dry port” at
the Matsapha Industrial Estate,
business has gradually picked
up over the months from a slow
start in 2010, just as new tracking
technology was being employed
to expedite sea to rail logistics.
“We are now monitoring cargo
as it’s floating at sea, en route.
Mid-2010 was when we started
using the internet and computers
linked to the vessels, and we talk
to clients to make logistics plans
once we determine (ship) arrival
times,” Mahlalela said.
“We are in a solid position
as a company. Our cash flow is
okay. A few years ago I had to
retrench half of our people. We
had 700 employees at the time,
and the move was controversial.
But I knew I had to do it to
stay competitive and make the
company lean and efficient. I
personally reported the plans
to King Mswati and the Queen
Mother, because job loss is a
sensitive issue. But it had to be
done and because of that we
were able to weather the worst
recession we have encountered,”
Mahlalela said.