Mining companies can reduce logistics costs considerably through partnering with a specialised logistics company providing targeted solutions, says logistics group Dachser South Africa MD Detlev Duve.

“The needs of mining companies are complex and unique. “They are characterised by the need to transport to remote locations with challenging infrastructure, the need to manage complex multimodal projects and high risks that require specialised insurance.”

Duve says Dachser, which will be present at Electra Mining Africa, offers mining com-panies an “unrivalled” logistics service.

With offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and a comprehensive international network, Dachser South Africa brings both local expertise and global coverage to address logistics needs. As well as air and sea freight services, the logistics provider offers its customers across different sectors a wide range of supplementary services, such as customs clearance, warehousing and distribution.

Duve says that key factors differentiating local logistics providers include: the ability to easily track and trace consignments and the frequency with which shipments reach the consignee within the scheduled or expected time, competitive pricing and the efficiency of the customs clearance process.

Dachser applied stringent network proto-cols to all business operations, with every logistics solution grounded in internationally standardised processes. “High efficiency, combined with personal dedication from our skilled employees, gives our clients a decisive edge. Dachser’s eLogistics application, part of eBusiness, provides a user-friendly tool to quickly calculate freight costs online, submit transport orders with a simple click and then effectively track multiple shipments globally.”

Dachser further strives to be cost effective and has extensive experience in Africa. Duve says: “While transport costs are rising, Dachser can remain competitively priced as we have an efficient and established domestic and international network. “We maintain an excellent record of on-time delivery and use integrated eLogistics technol-ogy to ensure accurate tracking. Infrastructure quality is challenging in South Africa, but we have the most viable solutions in place to counteract these challenges.”

Customs Clearance
South African customs has complex processes and with new rules coming into play, the expertise of logistics providers in this field will determine how smoothly the process is. Dachser offers facilitation and management of the customs clearance process to clients as part of its service offering. As a registered agent, all Dachser South Africa clearances are submitted to customs on the electronic data interchange system. This has decreased turnaround time for clearances from days to minutes.

“One of the significant enhancements is the ability for Dachser to submit the ship-ping documents used in order to declare a consignment for duty, tax and regulatory purposes through customs electronically to the South African Revenue Service. The e@syScan package enables upload of documents directly to customs,” says Duve.

While processing used to take time on the side of customs in the past, these days, delays are mostly caused by clients not supplying all the information required, particularly when it comes to invoices. Duve emphasises the benefits of becoming accredited as a preferred trader – a benefit available to registered importers and exporters. “About 70% of business is done by 10% of traders in South Africa. The larger traders would be moving two to three shipments per week, but even if you do only a few shipments per year, it is worth looking into as it will reduce the amount of documentation, provide for fewer routine documentary and physical inspections and access to nonintrusive evaluation tech-niques when goods are stopped or detained for inspection.”

Hall 5 Stand E31