Case Study Brief
The Logistics Challenge
Moving 210,000 m² of erosion control blanket into Zimbabwe on an urgent national timeline meant the border, not the mill, was the critical path. Road freight from Johannesburg to the Beitbridge crossing carries real exposure: incomplete or inconsistent export paperwork triggers inspection holds, and every day a sealed truck waits at the frontier accrues demurrage and pushes back the rehabilitation programme behind it. With the material required in bulk rather than in phased drops, a single held consignment would have stalled deployment across multiple river systems at once.
Certificates of origin, commercial invoices, packing lists and mill certificates were prepared and cross-checked before despatch, with product descriptions, quantities and consignee details matched exactly across every document. Spelling and reference consistency was verified line by line, since a single mismatch between invoice and manifest is enough to hold a truck at the frontier.
Logistics Route & Transit
How this consignment moved from order to site, stage by stage.
Route Timeline
Randburg Stock Facility
210,000 m² released from held stock. No import lead time.
Load-Out & Sealing
Three consignments loaded, sealed, export pack issued per truck.
Road Transit to Beitbridge
Northbound road freight under sealed consignment, transit monitored.
Beitbridge Border Clearance
Export and import formalities cleared. Zero frontier delay, no demurrage.
Direct-to-Site Laydown
Delivered direct to site laydown. No intermediary depot or handling.
Logistics Document Chain
Documents prepared and tracked for this consignment.
SADC Form CO
IssuedForm CO issued for duty treatment under the SADC Trade Protocol
Mill Certificates
Issued292 g/m² conformity certified per batch, traceable from delivered roll to production run.
Commercial Invoice & Packing List
IssuedRoll count, dimensions and total m² cross-checked against the invoice line by line
Customs Declaration (SAD 500)
IssuedTariff classification confirmed pre-despatch, declaration lodged ahead of the crossing.
Products Supplied
Products supplied for this project.
Specification Conformity & Lab Verification
Key properties compared with the project specification.
| Property | Test Method | Specification Minimum | Delivered Value (Average) | Margin Above Spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass per unit area | ASTM D6475 | 292 g/m² min | 292 g/m² | Meets |
| Roll length | Measured | 100 m min | 100 m | Meets |
| Roll Width | Measured | 1.0 m min | 1.22 m | Exceeds |
Logistics Performance KPIs
“In-house project comment: The Zimbabwe programme required the specified 292 g/m² jute material and coordinated cross-border supply. Our role connected stock preparation, documentation and delivery so the installation team could work with one material schedule.
