Rangel invests R37m in SA expansion

Source: Supplied

The company officially inaugurated its facilities in Johannesburg last week.

This additional investment reinforces Rangel's commitment to the African market, which includes the acquisition of its own fleet, growth of the local team to create 100 jobs by 2023, and expansion of the warehouse space in Johannesburg from 2500m² to 5500m². Rangel is also committed to opening new facilities in Zambia and at the SA border with Namibia (Nakop) and Botswana (Zeerust) next year and in several geographies in South Africa, including Durban and Cape Town, by 2023.

High customer demand

“Our investment into South Africa has proven to be very positive for Rangel, surpassing our initial expectations in less than two years. This, coupled with South Africa’s strategic position on the African continent guaranteeing road connections throughout southern Africa, has led us to expand operations in order to meet the demands of our customers,” said Nuno Rangel, CEO of Rangel Logistics Solutions.

Addressing Rangel at its official opening, Manuel Carvalho, Ambassador of Portugal to South Africa, said: “In the middle of all the adversities in the past few years we celebrate a success story. That is something that needs to be acknowledged.

"We have a saying in Portuguese, ‘When you have a storm, some people take shelter while others build windmills. Rangel is on the windmill building side, to harness the storm and make it blow in your favour. So, congratulations to Rangel because it takes bravery to do that and to move forward with its footprint not only in South Africa but in other countries on the African continent as well.”

Rangel entered the South African market in 2020 by investing in its clearing agent service and, after opening the Johannesburg facilities, it opened offices along the main borders of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana: Komatipoort, Musina and Globlersburg in 2021.

Launch into Zambia

“Despite only being in South Africa for a short time, we have seen great organic growth through high demand from our customers for services in Africa. We have now decided to enter a new country, Zambia, where we are the first Portuguese logistics operator in the market. This will reinforce Rangel’s inland service on the continent as it creates connection points with the seaports of South Africa, the main gateway in the region, and manages to offer cross-border transport with daily deliveries to all Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries,” adds Rangel.

The company already has a vast portfolio of clients in land transport and customs activity in Africa, being accredited as a clearing agent and ensuring connections with Southern Africa and East Africa.

A bright future

In the next two years it plans to continue with its expansion plan, with new openings on the African continent and by strengthening its contract logistics services, including those pertaining to international sea- and air transport . Rangel recently reinforced its strategy of becoming a global logistics player with its entry into South Africa and Mexico in 2020 – its first step towards internationalisation beyond the borders of the PALOP (Portuguese Speaking Countries).