SERVICE 
RULES THE ETHIC

Drive anywhere near Cape Town harbour and one cannot fail to notice a number of vehicles decked out in the signage of Moosa's Enterprises. They operate in the area seven days-a-week, 24 hours-a-day. The size of this father and son organisation belies its humble beginnings which began in 1970 and reflects a microcosm of the recent history of Cape Town writes our Cape correspondent, Stephanie Platt.

As a young man, Essop Sulaiman (ES) Moosa lived in District Six and worked a stall on the Grand Parade selling samoosas and fruit. This was in 1970 - four years after the government had declared District Six a white area under the Group Areas Act. Some 60 000 people were in the process of being forcibly removed to the Cape Flats and their homes bulldozed to the ground. ES, like his remaining neighbours, was living on borrowed time. 

Having received some money from the government for his demolished home, he had managed to buy a small piece of land. However, he still needed to build a house which he estimated would cost him an additional R12 000. Having been a hard worker and a loyal employee, he approached his boss for help. The answer was not only a refusal to loan him the money but - typical of the times - his boss told him he was becoming far too clever and promptly fired him.

Desperate, he turned to his sister for advice. She helped him out in the best way possible, assisting him to buy a second-hand Bedford and telling him to go find work for it. 

After managing to get small jobs for Berry & Donaldson, he approached a company called Commercial Transport which was working in and around District Six and soon started sub-contracting to them as well.

First steady work
Construction of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station brought ES his first relatively steady work. Still sub-contracting to Commercial Transport, which had managed to obtain part of the transport tender for Koeberg his work consisted of collecting machinery at Cape Town airport and delivering it to the construction site, some 50 kilometres away. 

His son, Ismail, only five-years-old at the time, used to travel with his dad. "We carried big machines for such a little truck," he recalls. "My dad used to tell me that the truck was our only income and that we could not afford to have even one flat tyre. We looked after that truck very well"

Still driving his original truck, ES was then approached by OK Bazaars to transport their fresh produce from the market to certain of their stores. This necessitated him buying his second truck and when OK later asked him to take on more work, he decided to approach some of his friends who had their own vehicles to sub-contract to him.

Each move he made was with consultation and assistance from his sister, who sadly passed away last November. "Through all the years my dad spoke to her about everything. He still misses her every day," says Ismail.

With Koeberg completed and his contract with Commercial Transport at an end, ES next made contact with Pescanova Freight. Working for them, he slowly increased his fleet to five trucks over the next 10 years. 

Starting at the bottom
At 17-years-old, Ismail left school to start work for his father. It would be a long time, however, before he saw the inside of an office for his father believed in exposing him to all aspects of the business. He thus started as a labourer.

"I had an extremely long apprenticeship," he recalls with a smile. "I worked on the back of a truck as a labourer for three years, obtained my license and spent the next two years as a driver. My next step was into the office where my father allowed me to answer the phone and handle minor queries."

One of Pescanova's clients was Sea Harvest, for whom ES worked in the harbour transporting imported fishmeal. While loading one day, someone from I&J approached him to ask if he would like to run block-ice for them. There was apparently one route where they were experiencing unacceptable delays. ES's response was that he was quite busy and would prefer to approach them when he felt ready to expand. I&J were having none of it though and insisted that he present himself and his truck the following day for a test run.

Bright and early the next morning, he completed a load from the harbour to Bellville and back - three hours faster than any of I&J's own trucks were averaging. This was the start of a business relationship that has remained solid up to today.

Initially only taking on the more problematic of I&J's routes, the fleet was increased as and when new routes opened up. It was a slow process of growth which I&J discharge foreman, James Baatjies, who has been dealing with Moosa's Enterprises for the past 25 years, recalls well.

"I remember Ismail as a child, driving nights with his dad. They would work for us until about 3.00am and then go off to do their OK Bazaars work. ES was one man who was not born with a golden spoon in his mouth. He worked hard for that spoon." 

Core business
Vehicles got larger and refrigerated vehicles were bought to handle export orders. Dropsides - used to transport wet fish - were replaced by tautliners. Then I&J took a decision to concentrate on its core business - fish - and contract out the transport. While still giving their remaining vehicles priority in terms of work, they indicated their intention to leave the bulk of the transport to Moosa's Enterprises.

"We chose them because what stood out for us was their service," says Baatjies. "If we needed ice for a ship at any time, we knew we could rely on them to get the work done."

By now, Ismail was completely involved in running the company, his father taking more of a back seat. "In 1999, I&J called us in to take everything over, doing all distribution from their coldrooms, depots and factories. We took over about 18 of their existing vehicles with trailers and had them refurbished."

They were not just handed the contract on a plate though. As Baatjies explains: "We went out to tender and it was awarded on both price and service. In both respects, Moosa's Enterprises were way ahead."

This enabled the company to move from cramped premises in Paarden Eiland to a custom built site in Montague Gardens, which is immaculate. The yard is spotless and an overall impression of order, neatness and efficiency pervades throughout.

FATHER AND SON Ismail Moosa (left) with his father Essop Sulaiman... a family business that is working well.

Even more immaculate is the fleet of 90 trucks and 30 semi-trailers. "They wash and sanitise the entire fleet every week," says Baatjies. "Drivers also spend every spare moment cleaning their vehicles." Painted white, with prominent blue and red signwriting, it is easy to spot a Moosa's vehicle by mere virtue of the fact that it is usually the cleanest one on the road.

Never any discrimination
And what of being a "Black" company in the old South Africa?
"Sure we had plenty of problems," recalls Ismail. "We couldn't get transport permits, which is why we had to subcontract. The one thing I must say though is that in our dealing with companies like I&J, there was never any discrimination. In fact, our relationship with I&J is such that we are regarded as part of them, as they are of us. And never - not once in all the years - were we ever treated any differently. They have always involved us in the decisions that could affect us."

Do they see opportunities opening up for them via the general swing towards companies which practice affirmative action? "We have not tried to cash-in on the fact that we are not a white-owned company. We prefer to get our business based on the way we operate."

Most of their business is local with the furthest long-haul route being to Port Elizabeth. Fleet maintenance is handled in-house or through the local dealers. Over the years, the company has purchased mainly Mercedes-Benz trucks although, through their purchase of I&J vehicles, they do have a number of other makes in the fleet. There is an on-going refurbishing programme.

While they place a high value on the calibre of their drivers, apart from their permanent staff, they also make use of contract drivers from labour brokers. While admittedly costing more, Ismail says there are certain advantages for their particular operation.

Although ES is theoretically retired from the business, according to Ismail his father is still very active. "He still has the energy of a 30-year old. He always makes sure that he is on hand if I am out of the office and will think nothing of getting stuck into cleaning the vehicles or having the offices painted if he thinks it necessary."

Industry is down
And what of the future? "At the moment the whole industry is down," says Ismail. "Lots of private guys are eating one another up and in the long run, won't be able to replace their trucks. But the government is trying to get things going and we are upbeat. We believe the future looks positive as South Africa is now ready to work."

Possibly one secret of their success is a hands-on approach and attention to detail. Ismail does all the sales himself. They don't have secretaries and sales people. Customers are able to get hold of Ismail at any time on his cellphone as he does not believe a customer should have to leave messages with after-hours security guards. As I&J's Baatjies confirms, he can call in the middle of the night for a vehicle and a plan will be made. 

As far as the South African transport industry is concerned, it raises the question of whether Moosa's Enterprises has exceptional service standards or if this should be the acceptable level that all transport operations aspire to improve upon. The accolades the company receives from its customers would certainly indicate its philosophies should be emulated by others.