Cape Town - Container Gateway to Africa, 02 october 2001
The launch of the Enterprise Container Gateway to Africa is a big step forward in promoting efficient transport and related services
Today we are celebrating the creation of an important partnership in the coming together of two entities to create a new enterprise. The launch of the company Container Gateway to Africa (pty) ltd) is that enterprise.
I congratulate the new company on this the occasion of its launch and wish the company and all those involved with the company every success in all its endeavours. I congratulate the two entities who have taken this big step forward namely refrigerated freight lines (pty) limted and thorton and company.
Refrigerated freight is south african. Thorton is belgian. Thorton of course is a well known company based in the world famous port of antwerp.
The fact that it chose as its partner refrigerated freight is an affirmation of the reputation and standing which refrigerated freight built up in South Africa and overseas. I want to welcome Thorton and company into this partnership and trust that it will find this new enterprise worthwhile and profitable.
To Refrigerated Freight lines I want to say "well done". I look at your achievements with pride. You are a company made up of persons coming from the ranks of the historically disadvantaged. You had to compete with the big boys. You overcame disadvantage. You have shown the way to others. I compliment all those who are part of the refrigerated freight family and wish you continued and greater success in the new enterprise.
I must say that the name Container Gateway to Africa struck me. From the name I sense an ambition - looking beyond our borders and reaching north, reaching out across the seas. The name and the objectives you set for yourselves do capture one's imagination. The enterprise is worthy of support and I am here today to say on behalf of the south african government that you have our support. Not only does your enterprise have the potential of being a big success story but it also has the potential of improving international trade and exports as well as attracting more foreign enterprises and investments. So I look forward to hearing your achieving great things.
The two entities who have come together to form a new enterprise, refrigerated freight and thorton each have skills and expertise which they bring into Container Gateway to Africa.
Thorton is a well known belgian spare parts storage and distributor company - as I said - based in antwerp. It has been rendering major reefer container spare parts service and provides a warranty station to major companies. It has been a successful distributor of container body parts and has been the Belgian dealer for Carrier Transicold's Marine System Group - another well known international company.
Allow me at this stage to divert - but for good reason because I want to take advantage of this opportunity to say thank you to belgium, its government, its enterprises, its universities and its people. Belgium has a long association with South Africa - always constructive. Quietly and without fanfare it has rendered assistance to South Africa, south african institutions and our people at a number of levels - one of which is in the area of maritime transport and logistics. Recently I was at the kwazulu natal technicon to launch a programme for the training of black maritime technicians. The project has been made possible because of Belgian sponsorship. The S.A. Maritime Safety Authority is the other partner in that project.
In our constitutional debates over the past decade, beligian academics and constitutional experts have featured prominently and have made a valuable input. They continue to do so by sponsoring and participating in seminars organized in South Africa. So I want to say "thank you Belgium". Our local partner in Container Gateway to Africa, Refrigerated Freight lines, bring into the enterprise goodwill built up successfully. There is the non vessel operating container carrier (nvocc). It is a local ships agency with a global network in many parts of the world and very important for the western cape and south african fruit and flower industries - it specializes in the transportation of perishable goods. It also acts as the south african representative for a number of international companies.
I note that the new enterprise offers a number of services:
I reefer (Refrigerated Freight Container) services
II pack and repack warehouse
III transport services
part of the warehouse facilities
IV truck and trailer depot
v rail siding service
This service is available to receive and despatch goods
Which brings me to the central point I want to make viz the need for South Africa - both government and the private sector - to develop inter-modalism and seamless movement of goods and people. Since today we talk about freight, I restrict myself to that aspect. The secret of success is adequate logistical arrangements, good and effective logistic chains, adequate pre-planning and implementation with regard to packaging, quality control, labelling, containerizing or palletizing, speedy and cost effective transportation and storage - all of those to be done with maximum efficiency and minimum time and cost. The logistic chain is very important and must become world class for south african exports to be competitive. So we are placing great emphasis and logistics. Over a year ago, I signed an agreement with my counterpart in the netherlands for co-operation in a number of areas of transport. Important from your point of view as Container Gateway to Africa is the project on logistics - focussing on the fruit chain from point of production to point of consumption in europe.
The other important and absolutely indispensable requirement is technology - and in this case the most modern up to date information and communication technology in the service of logistics. Without this technology we will never be effecient, we will not pack, store and move goods with the requisite speed, costs will rise, goods will perish and we will be eliminated from the market.
With good logistics and it we can become a winning export nation.
In South Africa we have made some progress in these areas and there have been some exciting developments - also for example to cope with strong windy conditions we often experience in cape town. But all of us - the private sector and the public sector need to pay more attention to logistics and I.T.
I notice that the services offered by Container Gateway to Africa cover all those areas to which I have referred. It seems to me that your focus and strategy provide you with a winning formula.
I may add that government has also just approved for publication and comment our draft commercial ports policy. Hopefully all interested parties will have the opportunity of looking at the draft policy document and submit comments, criticisms or suggestions. One important move we are already implementing is the separation of landlord functions at ports from operations. The formation of the south african ports authority has already been announced. This entity will have its own board and management and will operate independently to ensure a level playing field for all - which is important for private sector operators. As I said operations are being separated from the landlord function of the ports authority and from economic regulation. This new institutional arrangement creates the opportunity to develop fourishing private sector based operations competing on a level playing field.
So I say the opportunities are there for the taking. The new company acontainer gateway to Africa is well placed to compete successfully in port operations and in transport as well as related services. The presence of so many entrepeneurs, stakeholders and other well wishers here today is an indication that Container Gateway to Africa enjoys the good wishes of all of us. And so, in closing let me say once again thank you for inviting me to participate in this launch of the new refrigerated container depot in cape town. I wish Container Gateway to Africa success in all its endeavours.
Thank you.