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We did it!

Our client called us with an unusual request. He has been pursuing a client for months, trying to sell a South African product to a company in Australia who supplies equipment to the mining industry. Negotiations were unsuccessful last year, but he finally managed to get the right product at the right price. His client in Australia insisted on delivery by the 8^th of August, but the manufacturer in South Africa still needed more time for manufacturing. We worked closely with our sister company, Red Nav in Perth, and looked at every possible scenario. Timing was of the essence. Unfortunately, most vessels required a transit time of about thirty days between the port of Durban, South Africa, and the port of Fremantle in Australia. The client was reluctant to request a later delivery date from the buyer, and it seemed possible that once again his negotiations were not going to be successful.

Then experience from the Sebenza/RedNav team kicked in! There was another option.

After a few calls we found a vessel which offered a direct sailing that only needed 16 days transit time. We looked at the estimated days of departure and arrival and knew that this was our solution! The manufacturer worked until the last possible moment before the trucking company pulled through his gates. The driver collected the goods at close of business and drove through the night to ensure that our cargo was handed in before the stacks were closed. The vessel departed as planned, and we enjoyed a mini celebration, but then … disaster struck! Inclement weather at sea caused the arrival date to be pushed out! The original arrival date was 2^nd August, which became the 3^rd, and then the 4^th! As we kept a watchful eye on the weather report, a mini tornado hit the coastal city of Perth on the afternoon of the 4^th August! Luckily it hit a few kilometres north of the port of Fremantle and it did delay the arrival time too much. The vessel eventually docked at 3am on the morning of the 6^th August, giving us one day for the vessel to unpack. The cargo became available on the morning of 7^th August, and we delivered one day earlier than the cut-off date. A relieved client waited at the delivery address of the buyer to welcome the first of what he (and we) hope to be many more shipments. We feel confident in the knowledge that we went over and above our duty to deliver the best possible service to our client at an affordable rate. This is what shipping is about.

When visa requirements are changed

When Australia changed their aged parent visa recently, some of the elderly parents of Australian residents had to return to their country of birth. The new Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) allowed parents of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia permanently, but waiting times for this visa to be granted can take up to thirty years! Our clients in Sydney was not comfortable with the excessive waiting time, and they did not want to add the uncertainty of a visa status to concerns about the future care of their elderly mother.

They managed to find an old age care facility in South Africa where they knew that their mother would receive excellent care, but they were worried about how she would react to such a big change at this late stage of her life. They knew that dementia was beginning to set in and they were advised by medical professionals that their mother would cope better in her new environment if she could take some of her own belongings with her.

Costs were of course a concern, but also timing.

We planned the move to the n ^th degree. Her goods were packed into boxes by the client and was sent as an air freight shipment to be customs cleared and delivered to one of the major cities in South Africa.

Our clients were ecstatic with the quality of service they had received from the combined team of Red Nav/Sebenza Freight Services. They were kept informed every step of the way and could arrange for extra hands to assist with the receipt and unpacking of the shipment on the day of delivery.

The elderly mother settled in with ease. She is now surrounded with her familiar belongings and is receiving outstanding care. Our client installed a large TV screen in her new house and taught her how to use Skype, so that they can regularly talk to her on video call.

Note: a stock image was used

In desperate need

Our clients contacted us in desperate need. They received death threats in South Africa and needed to migrate to another country as soon as possible. The situation became very worrying as threats were made not only against the adults, but also against the small children. They found refuge in Australia, but that meant that their life savings were worth much less, as the South African Rand traded at almost ZAR 10 to AUD 1. We had to find the cheapest possible way to move their personal belongings from South Africa to Australia. It took lots of planning, research and serious negotiations from our side, and heaps of patience from the clients’ side, but we found the perfect solution. We managed to ship their goods at a rock bottom price and our clients could focus on settling in a new country in stead of worrying about their financial situation. Today they are very grateful new Australians, adding value to their new country of residence.