When YIHE, MV Switchgear’s technology partner in Qingdao, China, got word early this year that there was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in South Africa to protect people against contracting Covid-19, it wasted no time about purchasing a large quantity of PPE to help out.
Posing with the shipment of PPE shortly after its delivery to MV Switchgear at Knights are (from left) Mandla Mkwaqa, VISA SHE Rep; Vony Botha, ACTOM’s Logistics Manager; MV Switchgear’s Rhett Kelly, Technology Development Specialist; Atwel November, Stores SHE Rep; Craig Lebelo, PMU Supervisor; Golden Mlambo, Highbay SHE Representative; Linky Mdaka, Technical Sales Consultant; Greg Whyte, Design & Development Manager, and Simon Mashayi, Stores Supervisor.
When YIHE communicated with MV Switchgear’s Greg Whyte, Design & Development Manager, and Rhett Kelly, Technology Development Specialist, to notify them that the PPE were packed and ready for shipment to South Africa, ACTOM’s Shipping Department at Knights initially tried to arrange for the equipment to be flown in, but soon discovered not only that cargo flights from China were extremely few and far between, but that the cost of this means of transport was extraordinarily high.
“It was then decided that the PPE would be brought with the next shipment of switchgear panels scheduled to be supplied by YIHE to MV Switchgear in May, with the PPE being stored in various available spaces in between the equipment,” said Vony Botha, ACTOM’s Logistics Manager, who heads the Shipping Department.
While the shipment was still on the water Vony’s team made sure to obtain a permit from South Africa’s International Trade & Commerce authority to authorise entry of the special shipment on arrival at Durban. “Despite this we still encountered some complications which held up the release of the goods for about two weeks. We had to negotiate with the Customs authorities to convince them it was legitimate; in this we were greatly assisted by our Preferred Trader status with Customs,” Vony commented.
ACTOM was accredited by Customs as a Preferred Trader in mid-2018, which put it on a much stronger footing than previously in expediting the movement and delivery of imports and exports. The PPE generously donated by YIHE, which was delivered at the group’s Knights premises at the end of June, comprised 20 000 protective masks, 100 sets of protective overalls, 1000 pairs of disposable gloves, 10 sensor-activated soap dispensers and 20 infrared thermometers. It was decided that the PPE would be made available not only for MV Switchgear’s use, but for all occupants of the Knights site.
“The masks are provided on entry to the site by our Covid-19 screening staff to any visitor or employee who doesn’t have one already, the protective overalls, disposable gloves and infrared thermometers are available for the screening staff’s use at the main gate and for clinic staff, while the soap dispensers have been installed at washbasins so that people can wash their hands as safely as possible, since the dispensers are automatically activated without needing to be touched,” said Ulrich Behr, MV Switchgear’s Purchasing
Manager. Shortly after being notified by YIHE in early-May that the shipment of PPE’s was about to be sent from Qingdao port to South Africa with a cargo of switchgear, Martin Kelly, MV Switchgear’s then Divisional CEO, sent an e-mail message to YIHE via Amanda Wang, Managing Director of PMME Supplies CC, to Zhang Ping, Production Manager of YIHE, expressing great appreciation for the donation.
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