A decision to invest in
its own container
fleet and make the
containers available
to the forwarding industry at no
extra charge is paying dividends for
Zambia specialist Celtic Freight.
For many years the market for
freight into Zambia was serviced
by the cabotage of containers to
Zimbabwe, says Celtic Freight
managing director, Adrian Friend.
“Hauliers would pick up a container,
pack with cargo for Zambia and
enjoy a fee for turn-in in Harare. But
the market has completely changed
with containers now being earnestly
required by Zambia’s exporters, and
very few containers required for Zim’s
exports,” he commented.
Friend says that there is simply
never enough stock of export
containers in Zambia, yet the
shipping lines are still charging
exorbitant turn-in fees, deposits and
penalties for containers going to
Zambia. “We are therefore reaping
significant benefits from our decision
to offer our value-added service,” he
told FTW.
Celtic has also set up offices
in Zambia to be the agents on
the ground for any international
forwarder sending goods. “Add that
to the daily dispatch of LCL cargo
out of Johannesburg and Durban
and the service is working well,” said
Friend. He said degrouping agents
in Durban were able to make use
of Celtic Zambia’s presence in
Zambia to be their de facto agent
within the territory and have
cargo “containerised” en route.
“International freight forwarders
have realised that to have an office in
Zambia is extremely expensive and
subject to the proverbial red tape to
a degree that makes setting up an
office almost impossible. We already
have all the skills and facilities in
place.”
Friend said Zambia was enjoying
an upsurge in small trade deals
with the East, namely China and
India, and Celtic was taking
advantage of the opportunities
arising from that. “With
Emirates now flying daily
out of Lusaka, traders are
easily able to travel to China
and India. They are
purchasing smaller
consignments
and using the
variety of reliable
consolidation
agents to get the
goods shipped
directly back to
Zambia,” says
Friend.
INSERT & CAPTION
The market has
completely changed
with containers now
being earnestly
required by Zambia’s
exporters.
– Adrian Friend
