In a year that for the logistics industry in general was relatively quiet, Cargo Carriers has posted an impressive 21% increase in its turnover. Some of this success is attributable to the successful inroads the company has made into the SADC region.

The bulk of Cargo Carriers’ Cross-Border business involves transporting fuel to Zimbabwe and Zambia, and supplies and fertilizer into the mining and farming sectors of the SADC region.

“Zimbabwe is now in a position where it can, and needs, to buy fuel and we expect to reap the reward of additional transport as the economy recovers,” says Bolton. “The Zambian economy is also strengthening. The mining sector is growing due to the surge in the price of copper, and the agricultural sector is booming. Cargo Carriers is currently transporting mining equipment, pipes and fertilizer into Zambia.

Cargo Carriers has also become a strong supplier of logistics management and optimisation software into the region. Its suite of software products are designed with African conditions in mind, and the company has consultants who are active and comfortable working throughout the SADC region

Throughout the SADC, most trading routes are by road rather than rail. The Federation of East and Southern African Transport Associations is improving the flow of goods in the region, and Cargo Carriers is in the vanguard of these developments. With its growing reputation as an ‘African’ supply chain and logistics services provider, the company is well positioned to lead their client’s expansion into the region.

Management are confident that, barring significant shocks to the economy, the 2011/12 year will continue to yield growth in their African business, and that their clients will increasingly see expansion into the continent as a priority.