SACD’s 30 Year Retrospective

SACD started from humble beginnings in the Maydon Wharf area, Durban, in February 1977 under the guidance of CEO, Tony Yuill, a common name in the industry since then. The multinational import & export management company originally transported livestock. From horses and elephants, the company has grown by considerable leaps and bounds in the past 30 years. Not only has it evolved into an ever-changing solutions provider due to internal innovation, but also kept on track with the strides in global logistics and technology.

The concept of containerisation arrived on the shores of South Africa in 1977, much to the scepticism of industry leaders and customers. Cynics scoffed the idea, especially as early as the 1950s, but the benefits of secure, climate controlled, dry storage proved to quash the opinion of even the most doubting naysayer.

SACD grabbed the opportunity to handle and manage the new containers. During 1977 the company built facilities in the ports of Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and even the inland port of Johannesburg.

Two years later, SACD introduced computerised Unpack Reports, Outturn Reports, Tracking Reports and invoices – a first in an industry originally reliant on reams of paperwork.

As time passed, the need to expand became increasingly evident. The construction of the Sasol Plant, and the demand for CKD components for Vetsak meant that things were on the rise, but the company did not rest on its laurels. Expanding into export ventures was the most logical step. A 4000 square metre rail bound cargo facility was commissioned, a mammoth for its time.

Only a few years later SACD built a second warehouse of 8000 square metres – double the size of the first. Mondi paper was the first export client on the list. The client list multiplied significantly since these early days, as have the warehouse facilities.

The original Gantry, which was commissioned to shift containers in 1979, has since been refurbished, and is still in use in between the newer additions to the SACD resources. The move from storing MT containers to a freight station to attract both import and export cargo was initiated in 1995 and has been a resounding success.

Thirty years on, the global mogul provides Supply Chain Management, Reefer Services, Cargo Management, Container Management, Outsourcing and documentation to shipping lines and forwarders, importers and exporters all over the globe.