Fastway enters South African market

Written on the 22 January 2009

Fastway Couriers, the world's largest courier franchise opened the doors to their first South African operation in Pretoria this month; bringing the number of countries the Fastway group operates in to ten.

Established in New Zealand in 1983, the privately owned company has pursued a franchise business model to expand internationally. South African businessmen, Mark van Niekerk, and Murray Duncan are the operating directors of the South African company that has been granted the franchise rights to operate the Fastway business services franchise system in South Africa; and they plan to expand throughout the country.

Mark van Niekerk says that Fastway Couriers fills a niche in the South African market for companies that require delivery services. "The service is low cost, and couldn't be easier to use, utilising prepaid colour labels for different destinations. The pricing is very transparent, so there is no need for tiresome negotiations, and signing up as a customer is quick and easy."

With backgrounds in transport operations Messrs van Niekerk and Duncan see the Fastway mobile franchise model as ideal for South Africa. Mr Duncan says that information technology plays an important role in delivering a seamless service. "Fastway's couriers carry hand held computers, which not only provides real time signatures online following parcel delivery, but also feeds relevant information back to a central point for business management purposes."

Speaking from Fastway Global's corporate headquarters in Napier, New Zealand Group Managing Director Brem Ellingham said that expansion into South Africa is a logical move for the opening of Fastway's tenth country. The market niche that has been Fastway's success in other countries is just as apparent in SA. 

He went on to say that Mark and Murray have been amply prepared for their venture. "They've spent a year carrying out research and undergoing an intensive training regime via our university website, and practical hands-on experience in Australia and New Zealand."

Fastway Couriers has now been trading for 25 years, providing delivery services to more than 95,000 customers worldwide. Annual turnover last year was $441 million. Fastway's franchises take in the countries of New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, Germany, and now South Africa.