Swaziland’s well-developed transport infrastructure is able to take care of most needs for the movement of goods and people within Swaziland and across her borders. Operations specialising in diverse transport services operate within the country and are professionally run to high standards. The Transport sector is governed by various regulations under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport through the relevant Departments, such as the Road Department, Road Transportation Department, the Road Safety Section and the Department of Civil Aviation. Railways infrastructure and services are provided through Swaziland Railway, a parastatal organisation. The international and regional protocols, such as the SADC Transport, Communications and Meteorology Protocol, supported by the National Transport Policy, all aim at strengthening cooperation relating to infrastructure and services, and maintaining a viable and sustainable transport system. This is achieved by providing guidance and leadership in the development of an efficient and effective transport sector.
AIR SERVICES
The Civil Aviation Department is a regulatory authority responsible for the provision and upkeep of aircraft-related facilities and services to enable aircraft to operate within safety standards. It is also responsible for the country’s aviation infrastructure development. A new and bigger international airport at Sikhuphe in the lowveld is under construction to accommodate the future air passenger demands projected for the region. It will include a 4000 metre long by 60 metre wide runway, an apron to accommodate 747 Boeing aircraft, terminal buildings, a VIP passenger lounge, air navigation and ground handling equipment, and all associated airport operations equipment. Swaziland Airlink is a joint venture airline company between the government of Swaziland with, Government being the major shareholder. It provides scheduled operations between Manzini and Johannesburg with a frequency of four flights a day, which link conveniently to international long-haul flights to most destinations in the world.
ROAD TRANSPORT
Swaziland’s diverse industries require highly sophisticated road transport services for the movement of goods within and across the borders to neighbouring countries. Road transport provides efficient movement to the rail depots and the Matsapha inland clearance depot, from where export goods are railed to sea ports and imported commodities are received. Nearly all passengers using public transportare conveyed by road, as are goods transported within Swaziland. The market share of road transport is about 50% of total cross-border traffic. Ownership of passenger transport operations is in the hands of relatively small-scale indigenous private operators, with no subsidy from government.
Transport Administration and
Regulation.
The Road Transportation Department (RTD) administers and regulates the road transport industry in the country through a permit system in terms of the Road Transportation Act No.37 of 1963. It also administers various regional and bilateral agreements with other countries, such as the Memorandum of Understanding of Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and programs of the COMESA and SADC organisations. The Department is also responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the Road Traffic Act, Road Transportation Act and Regulations including any updates, amendments and other tasks associated with road transport
Overloading Control of Heavy Vehicles
The construction of the first permanent weighbridge station at Matsapha for the control of overloaded heavy vehicles has proved beneficial since it started operating in 2003. Previously spot checks were carried out using p o r t a b l e weighbridges. This control measure helps to reduce incidents of overloading and damage to the country’s roads and a significant improvement has been observed regarding compliance with the load limits. On average, about 65% of vehicles during the year complied with load limits compared with 33% recorded previously. The percentage ratio of overloaded vehicles has also decreased from 52% to 37%. However, there is still much ground to be covered in changing attitudes to overloading. Thus Government intends to increase the number of weighbridges at strategic points around the country. Mobile weighbridges are used to screen other routes, such as the sugar belts, Bhunya, Piggs Peak, Sandlane, Ngwenya and Mbabane. The overall objective is to minimise damage to the road network by overloaded heavy vehicles, thereby increasing its durability and also minimising accidents
Cross-Border Transport Operations
A Memorandum of Understanding between Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana and Lesotho applies to cross border traffic and provides for high safety standards and the rationalisation of road traffic density. Operators may obtain permits, which are recognised among the countries concerned, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. A certificate of fitness for each vehicle must accompany applications and the permits are valid for one year or 30 return trips. Although the transport of goods between countries in the region entails separate permits, a common ruling for the SADC states is in hand to streamline operations. Legislation pertaining to road transportation has been revised and a new Road Transportation Act of 2006 will replace the Act of 1963.
Passenger Transport
The means of conveyance for road passenger transport are buses, taxis, private cars and bicycles. Cars are typically used by the middle and upper classes but ownership, although rising, is still low and the majority of Swazi people use public transport, particularly in the urban areas. The increase in car ownership is confirmed by the performance of the motor industry. Fleet purchases typically dominate sales. Comparatively low interest rates have kept vehicle prices in check. Rural transportation is largely by public transport and on foot, particularly in many of the inaccessible areas. Bicycle use is low and has not been vigorously promoted. Buses are the the principal means of transport, with taxis playing a lesser role. Bus sizes vary from 50- 70 seats used mainly for long-distance and inter-urban transport, to medium size of 28-40 seats and the 10-15-seat minibus, mainly used for intra-urban transport, There are 1131 buses, 1395 midi-buses and 1825 kombis operating in Swaziland. The role of the midi and mini buses has became more clearly established with their advantages of smaller size, lower entry costs, and quicker turn-around times that allow these vehicles to dominate the shorter urban transport routes. Given the number of Swazis who rely on buses, efficient and safe services are essential to the economy. The existing legislation does not allow the industry to be as efficient as it should be. For example, permit holders do not always adequately service their routes and anomalies in the system mean that permission to operate on the same run may be withheld from a potentially efficient party. This has now been reviewed and new legislation will address the problem and introduce a number of improvements, including stricter safety regulations. Privately owned taxis play a smaller but important part in the public transport sector. Operators of these vehicles must be properly registered and possess the relevant Road Transportation Board permit.
Freight
The bulk of road freight operations are carried out by established, multinational companies based in Swaziland, with only a few Swazi companies competing in this sector. Several smaller operators carry out specific contracts but these are short-term demand driven operations that do not allow for long term development strategies to be followed. It is estimated that the local freight operators have less than 30% of the market. The operators move all categories of commodities internally and across borders for delivery to ports for overseas shipment and to destinations in neighbouring countries. They also move goods into the country. They operate fleets of reliable, modern vehicles, which are often especially designed to accommodate specific types of goods. Safety standards are high and the larger operators have their own workshops for vehicle maintenance and repairs.
Cargo Carriers
Cargo Carriers has celebrated 48 years of operating in Swaziland, and is the largest transporter of its kind in the region. It initiated cane transport operations in the local Sugar Industry in 1961, and later followed on from this successful platform to launch similar operations in Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga (Malelane). The division operates from five depots strategically placed throughout Swaziland and Mpumalanga, Big Bend, Simunye, Mhlume, Malelane and Komatipoort, currently transporting in excess of three million tonnes annually to the mills. Over 160 units are operated to convey this tonnage. Cargo Carriers Swaziland provides employment and training for over 350 local people. Its sugar division provides logistics services across the entire supply chain within the sugar industry. Services range from mechanical harvesting, infield loading and haulage, direct to mill and zone to mill cane haulage, and the transportation of the industry’s finished products of alcohol, bulk sugar, bagged sugar, molasses and fuel. It is also involved in the transportation of other agricultural products such as citrus and timber. Cargo Carriers is committed to social responsibility and development by establishing joint venture transportation and logistics businesses with small growers throughout the South African and Swaziland sugar belt. In Swaziland, Lugubhu Carriers, established in 2004, is an acclaimed player for small grower logistics needs in the northern region, and the aim is to roll it out to the rest of the country. Currently the company is contracted to transport 130,000 tonnes of cane from five small-grower associations. This demonstrates a strong commitment to corporate social investment and sound business logic for investment in the future of the industry. The company is committed to empowerment by sub-contracting certain work to smaller local transporters, thereby implementing management changes and also merging new business opportunities with the Trade Unions, as well as introducing driver ownership schemes for existing employees. Over the past six years, Cargo Carriers invested heavily in systems, software development and the development of logistical skills and have transformed from a pure trucking company into a logistics and supply chain service provider, based on the experience and fundamentals of intelligent trucking. Cargo Carriers is committed to safety, health, environment and quality issues and is ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004 accredited. Accreditation and continued improvement and upgrading of these procedures and practices are vital cogs in the wheel. With Cargo Carriers’ track record of innovation, careful strategy and operational efficiency in the sugar industry, it has established itself as more than a sugar transporter and is proud to be a stakeholder in Swaziland’s economy and its people.
Unitrans Swaziland Ltd.
This major road halier is based at Matsapha Industrial Site, from where it is well-placed to serve its diverse client base. Unitrans employs 152 people and operates a fleet of 50 dedicated vehicles for the movement of various commodities, including forestry products, sugar and animal feed. Unitrans also transport coca Cola concentrates to canners and bottlers in South Africa and a specialised contract is the transport of fuel for all the major oil companies that operate in the country. One of the longest-standing and experienced transport concerns in the region, Unitrans has been operating in Swaziland since 1960.
COURIER & DISTRIBUTION
SERVICES
This secure, fast means of moving documents and parcels is available through local concerns. They provide a door-to-door service regionally and worldwide, and also handle the formalities involved in moving items between borders.
DHL Worldwide Express
Since it was established in 1969, DHL has developed the largest international network in its field, utilising the latest technology and systems. Substantial investment has been made in both human and financial resources world wide, ensuring excellent door-to-door service for all consignments. This service is extended to the Swaziland operation which opened in 1985, and where the company has built its reputation for reliability and speed. With major global acquisitions in recent years, DHL has expanded its services to include air and ocean freight, such as containers of all sizes, among other consignments. The Swaziland operation comprises three service centres at Mbabane, Matsapha and the Oshoek Border, plus an agent based in Manzini. The daily delivery and collection service extends to Mbabane, Matsapha, Manzini, Big Bend, Siteki, Nhlangano and Piggs Peak.
FedEx Express
The FedEx Express licensee, Supaswift (Swaziland) (Pty) Ltd, prides itself on delivering time-sensitive freight quickly, cost effectively, carefully and on schedule. With branches in Mbabane and Matsapha as well as throughout Southern Africa, FedEx Express offers door-to-door, customs-cleared serviceand a money-back guarantee. As part of the FedEx global network, the Swaziland branch has access to the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast, reliable and time-definite transportation of approximately 3.3 million packages to more than 220 countries and territories each working day.
RAIL
Swaziland Railway
Swaziland Railway is a parastatal organization that provides transport services for import and export commodities as well as transit cargo. It is rated one of the best railways in the SADC region in terms of transit time, reliability and predictability, linking Swaziland’s main industrial centres with the railway systems of South Africa, Mozambique and other SADC countries. SR owns and maintains the infrastructure and rolling stock and operates a 300km network. A diversity of cargo is transported, including the country’s major exports of sugar, canned fruit, coal, unbleached Kraft pulp and timber, while fuel, wheat and cement are imported in large quantities. Loads range from 2000 to 6400 tonnes per train. The network extends east to west (111km) from Matsapha Industrial Site to Goba (interchange point) in Mozambique while the 189km north to south line runs from Mananga to Golela, where it links south to the South African ports of Durban and Richards Bay. The Mananga link provides access to Johannesburg and Zimbabwe via Komati Port while the Siweni line connects with Maputo in Mozambique. Traffic between Durban and the northern countries is economically routed along the North-South line cutting the distance through Gauteng by 270km and reducing the transit time by up to three days. The rehabilitation of the line to Maputo benefits customers with faster transit times and also provides clients with increased security of cargo. Swaziland Railway is committed to providing 24 hour technical and operational support to ensure the safe passage and transit of all commodities and cargo is constantly monitored to ensure it reaches its final destination safely. The safety program ensures that critical equipment and infrastructure is available at all times and that goods reach their destination intact. The program is also designed to minimise personal injury and damage to equipment. About E4 million was invested to upgrade a radio-based train management system from VHF to UHF, establish five new radio sites, and a computer based track warranty system. This enables efficient communication with neighbouring railways and improves safety. Swaziland Railway subscribes to the principle of Triple Bottom Line and addresses Economic, Environmental and Social issues in the organisation. In an attempt to address the HIV/AIDS problem, SR has internal employee wellness programs and also involves the communities surrounding its villages in the fight against the disease. This is part of the implementation of this policy which makes the training of educators and counsellors from the communities a part of its structure. SR also assists its communities by funding projects such as small dams, building of class rooms, community cash generation and food distribution. SR also promotes conservation and preservation of the environment. Swaziland Railway is building capacity to handle more traffic and to deal with environmental disasters such as oil and chemical spillages after derailments with the ultimate goal of preventing such events. In the event of such an incident SR will contain spillage to a manageable geographical area to avoid contaminating waterways and grazing and farming lands. The railway owns two schools and incentives are given to the government-paid teachers so that they commit to producing students with an excellent level of education.
The Matsapha Inland Clearance Depot
(Dry Port)
The worldwide growth of containerisation for transporting goods and the expansion of Swaziland’s export industries made the establishment of an inland container depot a logical development. This facility was established in 1993 at Matsapha Industrial Site. The objective is to meet the needs of importers and exporters and provide streamlined services that are time and cost sensitive. It also broadens Swaziland Railway’s revenue base. The depot is effectively a dry port, or international satellite port, and is ideal for a landlocked country such as Swaziland as it incorporates all the services associated with a sea port. These include handling 3m, 6m and 12m containers; road trailers and vehicles to run a door to door service to clients; customs clearance facilities, enabling the issue of through bills of lading between overseas origins/destinations and Swaziland; computerized tracking of containers and temporary container storage. The containers are moved by road to the ICD and progress by rail to the seaport, from where they are transferred to ships. Container traffic has increased substantially - from 2,500 TEUs per annum pre 2002 to an average of 15,000 TEUs per annum today - and in order to continue running the ICD efficiently the infrastructure and facilities have been upgraded. In 2002 the stacking area surface was made sturdier and harder and a reach stacker was purchased with a safe working load (SWL) of 45 tonnes. In 2006 a further reach stacker was obtained to cope with growing demand. Efforts are now underway to further expand the ICD to accommodate the growing traffic streams. The advantages of a dry port include the collection of port charges by SR on behalf of the South African Port Authority; customs offices for the clearance of cargo within the Matsapha Station; some shipping lines and clearing/forwarding agents are housed in the same building to facilitate all necessary documentation; proximity to major clients enables SR to serve them efficiently and effectively.
FORMALITIES
The complex formalities and paperwork involved in moving goods across borders within and beyond the Common Customs Area are handled by companies with expertise in this specialised field. Goods arriving in the country from outside the Common Customs Area must have import permits and declared values, with clearing documents issued by a recognised agent. Sales tax of 14% is payable on all imported goods, with the exception of alcohol and tobacco products which are taxed at 25%. Invoices must be supplied at the point of entry where the tax is also collected, unless a sales tax registration number is presented. Although value added tax applies in South Africa, commodities exported from that country into Swaziland are allocated zero rating provided the exporter is satisfied that the goods are destined for outside that country, and that relevant forms are complete. This avoids double taxation.
VEHICLE RENTAL
Rental services for different types of vehicles are available in Swaziland with the major representation at Matsapha airport. Vehicles may be hired as part of a travel package or by contacting the rental outlets direct.
REMOVALS
Many international and regional removal firms operate in and out of Swaziland, providing high standards