The greatest challenge
for Africa is to meet the
landside infrastructure
requirements to meet
the global demand when the
economies turn around further,
according to Lawrie Bateman,
MD of MSC Logistics.
This, in turn, has required the
company to carefully adjust its
operational structure across the
southern belt of Africa, he added.
“One example,” he told FTW,
“has been MSC Zambia and MSC
Logistics having been successful
in reducing our equipment stock
burden from the large numbers
recorded yesteryear. It has
been brought down to lower,
manageable stocks that are in line
with our current and anticipated
export requirements.
“This was as a result of
carefully negotiated triangulation
and cabotage agreements
between us on the one hand and
our contracted transporters on
the other.”
According to David Bertram,
Swaziland branch manager of
MSC Logistics, this year has
shown a positive
trend in imports
buoyed by the
used car market
and some major
construction
projects.
“On the export
side, even with
the weakening
of the dollar,
exports have remained steady
compared to previous years. All
of this is despite very gloomy
forecasts of anticipated growth
for the year being put out by the
IMF and the World Bank.
“But MSC is a strategic partner
of a number of businesses in
Swaziland – and, as long as they
remain viable, MSC will continue
to grow its market share.”
Mesele Seyuba, director of
MSC Zambia, told FTW that
they had to design a system
that achieved
complete control
over cargo
movement.
“MSC Zambia
as an ‘inland
port’,” he said,
“depends heavily
on a well-oiled
logistics chain to
ensure efficient
service to our clients.
“To achieve this, we have
negotiated time-specific service
delivery contracts with various
third party service providers that
include transporters and storage
depots.
“We ensure that complete
control by having direct contact
with the service providers for
daily tracking reports as well
as instant escalation of any
problems encountered. In doing
so, we are able to resolve or
circumvent problems in a timely
manner.”
According to Dean McIntyre,
MSC Logistics Botswana branch
manager, MSC currently has a
large market share. “The main
growth opportunities,” he said,
“now lie with importing goods
to supply Botswana’s largest
industry, mining.
“There is also a lot of growth
potential on the export side
of MSC Botswana. We are
looking to increase our exports
significantly in the future
through the export of coal and
other natural resources.”
INSERT & CAPTION
Operational structure
carefully adjusted across
the southern belt of Africa.
– Lawrie Bateman
