South Africa-based transport company Dachser South Africa (SA) has been named the Freight and Logistics Company of the Year at the ninth Transport Africa Awards 2016.

The Transport Africa Awards are designed to recognise companies that have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to succeed and have continually set standards of excellence. The awards have become the blue-chip mark of success for the African transport and infrastructure sector.

This year, a number of companies from countries throughout the continent were nominated for the Freight and Logistics Company of the Year Award. It was the first time that Dachser SA had entered the awards.

“We’re very proud to receive this honour in a group of strong contenders,” enthuses Dachser SA MD Detlev Duve.

Dachser SA has been operating in South Africa and on the wider continent for 38 years, with local offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Fostering a strong and extended regional network has been critical to the company’s growth, with a corporate philosophy of nurturing a ‘collective core’ connecting and empowering staff.

“I believe that, in a constantly evolving marketplace, the ability for everyone in the company to really work together towards achieving our company’s vision is what sets us apart. It encourages our customers to trust us as highly capable and reliable long-term partners,” Duve says.

He explains that an integral part of Dachser SA’s approach to intelligent logistics is to create maximum profitability for clients through the full spectrum of value-added logistics services, explaining that the benefit for clients is that they are able to focus on their core business, rather than having to spend time and money on needless and complex handling of inventory.

Duve puts forward that the company regards itself as an extension of the client. “Our aim is to provide sophisticated and streamlined logistics that are integrated into the client’s supply chain. We view our employees as a local extension of the client’s business. This commitment requires a high degree of human resource investment and a long-term view of learning about – and understanding – the client’s business sector and requirements.”

Moreover, he highlights that the company actively seeks innovative solutions to meet the particular requirements of each client.

This is especially relevant, he adds, given that the company has a diverse client base ranging from suppliers of frontline healthcare equipment – which require continued on-site calibration – to the providers of large-scale heavy technical equipment such as elevators and escalators which require mega-transportation solutions.