Distribution and Warehousing
RAIN provides fast, cost-effective reach into the hard-to-reach parts of KwaZulu-Natal, including townships and rural areas.
Our strength lies in our team of 140 committed local BEE contractors, based in every corner of KwaZulu-Natal. They know the areas extremely well and can deliver quickly, reliably and cost-effectively into the most inaccessible, deep-rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as to every one of its 6 800 schools. We also offer a distribution service into the Eastern Cape, through distribution points in four major centres.
Our two-phased model ensures maximum effectiveness:
- Large trucks take bulk loads rapidly from our central warehouse (or clients' chosen pick-up points) to 120 distribution points across the province.
- From these points, our BEE partners distribute locally and often over bad roads in their one ton trucks.
The system is flexible:
- It also works in reverse: we can collect goods and information from hard-to-reach places and deliver them to a central collection point.
- E-mail, fax and printing facilities in distribution points enable us to combine electronic and physical distribution to speed up delivery: we can e-mail or fax documents to 120 points and distribute printed copies from there.
State-of the-art technology in our central warehouse ensures:
- Rapid packaging, secure shrink-wrapping, and labelling as per clients' requirements
- Effective real-time tracking of and reporting on delivery progress
- Advanced information management through our advanced IT back-up system and extensive database
- Guaranteed proof of delivery
- Secure, cost-effective warehousing.
Background
The RAIN (Resources and Information Network) infrastructure was developed by our sister company, MiET Africa for the Department of Education. RAIN was established to address the lack of an effective delivery system to rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The system has been tried, tested and refined in the province over eight years. USAID (United States Agency for International Development) spot checks showed 100% successful delivery. Over this time, we have invested millions of rands in rural BEE. |
14 May 2009 Africa!Ignite has launched iThubalethu, South Africa's leading rural isiZulu newspaper. 40,000 copies have been distributed to schools and education centres in KZN. 30 June 2008 Africa!Ignite transported educational resources to the isolated eSgananda school & challenged other KZN businesses to meet our pledge of support as part of an initiative of iGagasi 99.5 and the Department of Education. |
