The first quarter trading has been challenging but we have enjoyed good successes and new business has been won, including that of Desert Lions lithium exports through our Walvis Bay Bulk Terminal, negotiations nearing completion regarding the rail haulage of approximately 5 000 tonnes of cargo per month across Zimbabwe on NLPI lines and development of the Nacala facilities for Syrah.
The listing of Grindrod Shipping in New York represents the end of an era for the Group, but as we wish our colleagues and friends calm seas and a fair wind at their backs, at GFS, as a freight focused business, we are proud to keep some salt air in our lungs and our eyes on the horizon.
• OACL vessels sail the African seas as Grindrod coastal vessels have since the Steam Ship “Frontier” sailed from Durban to Port St John in the 1930’s and will make around 1000 port calls this year from Mozambique to Angola.
• Our terminal operations remain seaward facing and will load vessels with more than 10 million tons of cargo during the course of 2018.
• SGM offices from Australia through South East Asia to Africa will husband more than 6000 vessels in 42 ports and our Marine Tech business will supply spare parts and service life rafts for hundreds of vessels this year and into the future.
• Our rail freight businesses this year will haul more than one million tons of freight from ports on the East Coast through Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
• Grindrod Integrated Logistics will handle 450,000 sea freight containers through their depots and deliver 25,000 vehicles to and from ports during the year.
• Rohlig Grindrod offices will process 45,000 ocean freight bills of lading on behalf of clients.
Once again thank you to our customers, business partners and to all of you for the support, hard work and loyalty and I look forward to catching up face to face during our road shows in the second half of the year.
Bongiwe Ntuli, CEO Freight Services