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Back Doubling mining industry on-time delivery | Kuehne+Nagel

Mining industry logistics come with a range of challenges, from the nature of the goods to the volume. In South Africa, these become even greater due to fragmented road infrastructure and complex customs regulations. In 2021, Kuehne+Nagel was approached by a world-leading supplier to help overcome these problems.

Customer:

World-leading supplier of mining materials

Industry:

Mining logistics

Solution:

Advanced Visibility


  • On-time delivery rate increased from 45% to 95% 

  • Truck movements grew by 53% in 2023 

  • Scaling from one lane to eight 


The mining logistics industry faces five key obstacles, particularly throughout South Africa. These include lead times, visibility, customs clearance, route planning and cost control. The client needed a logistics partner that understood unique customs regulations and had knowledge of efficient routes around the region. Further, they needed to increase lead times without incurring extra fees – relying on real-time updates in the process. 

Scaling to overcome visibility issues

When this major player approached us, their on-time delivery rates were an unproductive 45%. The client’s main issues were lack of visibility, customs statuses and manual workflow, leading to extra time and costs. With few tracking capabilities, they were suffering bottlenecks at every stage of the journey, such as customs. What’s more, at the time they contacted us, they only had one lane in mind. We were able to offer them a trial period to scale beyond one lane, powered by our advanced visibility solutions. 

Competitive advantage by using telematics

We trialled our Advanced Visibility platform with the client. While South Africa is home to many logistics companies, only one can give them direct access to vehicle telematics. Our efficient system helped to save time by consolidating real-time insights on both domestic and cross-border shipments into a single source.   

This innovative solution offers automated milestone updates 24/7 for streamlined journeys. In addition to this Advanced Visibility, we built on our knowledge of South Africa’s infrastructure and agent-led customs clearance, reducing delays at borders.  

In just six months, our local expertise and real-time telematics monitoring helped to secure a long-term mining logistics partnership. Leaning on our local knowledge and faster customs clearance, the client grew their on-time delivery rates from 45% to 95%. Meanwhile, truck movements increased by 53% in 2023. Trials in every region have been successful, and the client now delivers beyond South Africa into Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Scale up your logistics with Advanced Visibility

Are you looking to expand into further regions, or simply increase lead times? Contact Kuehne+Nagel today to discover the benefits of advanced visibility.