‘Focus on price at your peril’

Low transport costs can
come at a price, warn Glenn
Delve, national commercial
director of MSC Durban and
Marcel van Vlaanderen, MD of
Global Logistics Zambia.
“In many instances, the
focus on price rather than an
efficient service is to the client’s
detriment. For the sake of a
couple of hundred dollars, the
client is experiencing delays of
3-4 weeks, poor communication,
damages and possible pilferage.
“The cost of recovering the
situation far outweighs any
possible cost benefit,” says
Delve.
Many clients are looking at
alternative routes such as Beira,
Dar es Salaam and Walvis
Bay due to “increased charges
through South Africa, along
with the stringent requirements
for transit cargoes imposed by
the Sars Customs and Excise
department.
“More and more of our
Zambian clientele are opting to
unpack containerised cargoes
in the port and carry the
consignments on a break-bulk
basis so as to avoid the costs of
cross-haulage/cabotage of the
empty containers back to the
port of discharge,” says Van
Vlaanderen.
In order to assist clients opting
for these ports, MSC offers a
“liner through bill of lading”
through Durban, Beira and Dar
es Salaam.
“We are also looking at the
merits of routing Zambian cargo
in transit through Walvis Bay as
a way of reducing costs while
maintaining efficiencies,” he
says.
Cargo owners and shippers
should not discount Durban
completely, he says.
“The Durban service is far
more efficient, with transit times
of 10-14 days, inclusive of port
clearance, from arrival of vessel
to delivery by road in Zambia.
“We have strengthened our
alliances with the hauliers
and focused on improved
transit times/productivity in all
sectors,” he says.
Customs clearance through
South Africa has become
more onerous, but this can be
managed.
“Whilst Sars Customs
requirements are pretty stringent
for transit cargoes, with a little
guidance it is possible to provide
adequate documentation to be
compliant.
“This ensures that shipments
sail unhindered through the
Durban port,” he says.
MSC, in partnership with
Global Logistics, has seven
offices in Zambia. It has over
100 staff offering a full range
of services, including customs
clearing, bonded warehousing
and the export of commodities
such as copper and tobacco, says
Van Vlaanderen.
Global Logistics has a
dedicated project management
team for project cargoes, which
range from moving abnormal
plant and equipment to the
co-ordination of containerised
shipments.