Facts you may not have know about Mozambique:
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in Southeast Africa. The capital of Mozambique is Maputo (formerly known as “Lourenço Marques” from 1876 to 1976). Mozambique is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La Francophonie.
Mozambique has a population of approximately 28 million, is a Unitary, dominant-party, semi-presidential, constitutional republic, and gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
1. When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?
The common Portuguese greeting is “Olá” (hello), “Como estás?” (how are you?) It is also common to greet by saying “Bom dia” (good morning), “Boa tarde” (good afternoon), or “Boa noite” (good night), depending on the time of day.
2. What languages are spoken in the country?
The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half the population. Common native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. Most Mozambicans living in the cities speak Portuguese as their first language. Makhuwa is spoken at home by the largest percentage of the population.
3. Do you use a twelve hour clock, or a twenty-four hour clock?
We use a 24-hour system.
4. What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in the country?
We drive on the left side of road. There are over 30,000 km of roads, but much of the network is unpaved.
5. How important is punctuality?
Punctuality is not a very important part of local culture, and people may arrive late for events.
6. Which types of music are popular? Who are some of the most popular musicians?
The music of Mozambique serves many purposes, ranging from religious expression to traditional ceremonies. Musical instruments are usually handmade. Some of the instruments used in Mozambican musical expression include drums made of wood and animal skin; the lupembe, a woodwind instrument made from animal horns or wood; and the marimba, which is a kind of xylophone native to Mozambique and other parts of Africa.
Mozambique’s own music is similar to reggae and West Indian calypso. Other music types are popular in Mozambique like marrabenta, kwaito, afrobeat and other Lusophone music forms like fado, bossa nova, kizomba and semba.
For a taste of Namibian music, listen to Lizha James’ Mutxangana, and Stewart Sukuma’s Xitchuketa Marrabenta.
7. Are there any Traditional Dances?
There are over 1000 traditional dances in Mozambique, each region, each village has their own traditions and variations of different rhythms and dances. There can be dances symbolising celebration, war, love or harvesting, however, today variations of the dances are mainly used as an individual expression or to represent the rich Mozambican culture at events. Watch some examples of traditional local dance here.
8. What traditional Festivals are celebrated in the country?
AZGO Festival in Maputo
This is an annual international music festival which takes place over 3 days in the outdoors. It includes a variety of bands, music documentaries, and workshops. Additional facilities include a food court and restaurants, stalls for food and drink as well as designer fashion, merchandising and crafts.
STRAB Festival in Ponta Malongane
STRAB is the abbreviation for the Subterranean Rhythm & Blues experience, an annual music festival which started out as live entertainment for a birthday bash held by a group of scuba divers in 2003. It has grown over the years and now features about 20 live bands. Since 2008 STRAB has continued to provide exposure to bands from rock to blues to jazz to fusions of these.
Independence Day Festivities in Maputo
Independence Day is celebrated in June. The festivities include live performances and traditional dancing. The national stadium is the venue for a fantastic concert during which many celebrated Mozambique bands perform. The President often attends and addresses the attendees. Many cultural events such as poetry, dancing and visual arts take place the week before.
TAMBO International Art Camp/Festival in Pemba
The city of Pemba hosts this colourful festival that celebrates cultural diversity through art, dance, theatre and music performances. Visitors will enjoy 7 days in which to make art, exchange ideas and enjoy various kinds of workshops. There will be live performances and opportunities to interact with traditional artists from Pemba and other parts of the world.
9. What are the seasons like?
Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Climatic conditions vary depending on altitude. Rainfall is heavy along the coast and decreases in the north and south. Average temperature ranges in Maputo are from 13 to 24 °C (55.4 to 75.2 °F) in July (winter) to 22 to 31 °C (71.6 to 87.8 °F) in February (summer). Cyclones are common during the wet season.
10. What are some interesting facts about the President?
President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has served as Mozambique’s fourth President, in office since 2015. He previously served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2014. President Nyusi has also served on the board of directors of the state-owned Mozambique Ports and Railways authority (CFM), and as president of Clube Ferroviário de Nampula, a top-division football club based in Nampula. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Brno University of Technology in Czechoslovakia, and a postgraduate degree management from the Victoria University of Manchester in England.
Nyusi is a member of the Makonde ethnic community. He is married to Isaura Nyusi, and has four children.
11. What are the country’s major industries?
The largest economic sectors are gas and oil, agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, and tourism. Mozambique’s main exports include unwrought aluminum, tobacco, electricity, hydrocarbons nuts, seeds, and sugar cane.
12. How do people spend their free time?
Locals spend their free time watching popular sports, such as football and rink hockey, as well as trying out new restaurants and bars with family and friends.
13. What is a popular local drink?
Aside from the widely served Mozambican tea, known as Cha, and coffee, locally brewed beer made from maize is also very much enjoyed by people of Mozambique. Madeira, a Portuguese wine, is also popular in Mozambique.
14. What is a popular local dish?
The staple food for many Mozambicans is ncima, a thick porridge made from maize/corn flour. Cassava and rice are also eaten as staple carbohydrates. All of these are served with sauces of vegetables, meat, beans or fish. Other typical ingredients include cashew nuts, onions, bay leaves, garlic, coriander, paprika, pepper, red pepper, sugar cane, corn, millet, sorghum and potatoes.
15. What do you pay, on average, for the following? (1 USD = approx. MZN 61)
3 Course meal: MZN 1,100
Domestic beer (500ml): MZN 60
Cup of coffee: MZN 108
Coca cola (330ml): MZN 50
Milk (1l): MZN 92
Loaf of white bread: MZN 50
Apples (1 kg): MZN 125
Water (1.5l):MZN 52
16. Any general safety tips?
Although Mozambique does not pose a high crime rate, safety is still important when travelling. Remember to lock all your car doors when you leave your vehicle. Keep all valuables in a safe place when you leave the premises you are staying at. When site seeing and touring, make sure to keep the valuables you are carrying close by. Be careful of sharks when swimming in the sea, as there may not be nets. Do not go off the beaten track as Mozambique is known to have undetected landmines from its past civil war in isolated areas. Some areas may have restrictions on photography.
17. In conclusion, famous (and sometimes infamous) people from the country include:
- Samora Machel, a Mozambican military commander, politician and revolutionary. A socialist in the tradition of Marxism–Leninism, he served as the first President of Mozambique from the country’s independence in 1975.
- Graça Machel, a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. Machel is a member of the Africa Progress Panel, is an international advocate for women’s and children’s rights, and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work.
- Mia Couto, a Mozambican writer. He won the Camões Prize in 2013, the most important literary award in the Portuguese language, and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2014.
- Maria Mutola, a retired female track and field athlete from Mozambique who specialised in the 800 metres running event. She is only the fourth athlete to compete at six Olympic Games. She is a three-time world champion in this event and a one-time Olympic champion.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2], [3]. Image sources: Rohan Reddy [1].
British High Commissioner Visits Police Station Six Times a Year due to SA’s Visa Rules for Children
The British High Commissioner to South Africa visits a police station at least six times a year – all because of SA’s rigorous travelling with children paperwork requirements.
“From a personal experience, it’s off-putting,” says British High Commissioner to South Africa Nigel Casey, having just had to do so recently when his children went back home.
The High Commissioner was speaking to Traveller24 at the British Airways launch event of the Durban Direct to London flight route, on Tuesday, 30 October.
While he is very excited about the new direct route calling it a “fantastic enabler” of tourism and business, he says South Africa must sort out this confusion around the travelling with minors regulation.
Typically it takes two weeks to get hold of the long form birth certificate for Brits. There is also an affidavit requirement when both parents are not travelling with the children and this needs to be signed or witnessed by a police officer or lawyer.
This all adds to the hassle and cost, says Casey, and “basically takes South Africa out of the market for short notice, quick decision last minute travel”.
As a result, UK citizens are opting to visit Thailand instead, simply because it’s easier.
In fact he says it “breaks his heart” that South Africa is pushing itself out of the last-minute holiday market – because people in the United Kingdom really want to come here, with an estimated 450k British visiting South Africa annually.
“As I said to the Home Minister and Tourism Minister last week at the investment summit, I know that there is so much more potential because a million Brits go to Thailand every year and as a direct competitor for winter breaks from the UK, South Africa has plenty of advantages.
“South Africa is in the same time zone, it has a lot to offer, and is very popular for the Brits who get here. If you wake up on a Monday morning and it’s raining in London and you decide you want to fly to South Africa with your kids on Friday, you’ve got a problem.
“I’m waiting eagerly to see what the details are when it is gazetted, I hope they’ll be very clear because the worst outcome would be ambiguous new regulations saying, well you don’t have to have these but we strongly advise you to have them.
British Airways confirmed it does not allow customers to travel to South Africa without these travel documents. If there is one thing the High Commissioner would like clarity it is this regulation going forward. “There are many people who make decisions about their holidays quite late on, and this will open up a whole new market.”
Hamish Erskine from Dube Trade Port in fact confirmed the new direct Durban route leveraged on analysis showing an average 100k British-based travellers made their way to SA and travelled through Durban annually, with clarity on the regulation for minors, certainly able to boost these figures.
Hamish Erskine from Dube TradePort confirmed new route leveraged on analysis showing average 100k British-based travellers making their way to SA and travelling through Durban.
Direct commercial gains
Overall the head of the British High commission – of which British Airways is one of its largest investors – is optimistic about the direct commercial gains via the cargo opportunities with this direct route.
“The link is going to really open up a lot of potential and possibilities and expansion for our existing relationship and I’m absolutely thrilled that it’s happening.”
Casey says it bodes well for business travel with a number of big British companies headquartered Durban – Unilever, Ilovo sugar (a big employer here and elsewhere in the region) Smith and Nephew, a pharmaceutical company. Also, a number of big British Companies which have headquarters elsewhere have subsidiaries here like Turner and Townsend being key examples.
Business and tourism enabler
“KwaZulu-Natal has a fantastic tourism offer, parts of it are known to people in the UK who have come to South Africa before. But there is an important job to be done in selling the KZN offer and marketing it quite aggressively in the UK because really you have everything South Africa offers in one place.
“Beaches, diving, game parks, hiking in the Drakensberg, you’ve got history of the battle fields and it’s all in one place. The fact that people can now fly here rather than have to fly into Joburg, fly or drive down, saves a lot of time and a significant chunk to any ones holiday. It is going to be huge selling point for the city.”
But if anything British Airways has shown its commitment to the South African market as a whole.
The airline flies a twice-daily service from Heathrow to Johannesburg and daily to Cape Town year-round, having recently increasing its service between London and Johannesburg to 18 flights a week. It also doubles the Cape Town schedule during the South African summer season and also adds three weekly flights from Gatwick.
Paolo de Renzis, Commercial Manager for Europe, Corporate Sales and Africa, Levant at British Airways & Iberia says there is also the possibility to expand the direct Durban offering going forward. Surprisingly, De Renzis does not foresee any negative impact for the Comair operated British Airways domestic route from Joburg to Durban, which would usually be the connector for travellers from the UK.
BA’s new direct flight to Durban set to grow business and leisure travel. Paolo de Renzis, British Airways & Iberia commercial manager for Africa says he does not foresee it impacting domestic Comair – Joburg to Durban capacity.
Sihle Zikalala, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs says, “Having direct flights between Durban and London will undoubtedly spur growth in both tourism and trade for both destinations. We are certain that South Africans will embrace the opportunities offered by the direct flights from Durban ensuring that we fully benefit from these new connections.
General Manager of King Shaka International Terence Delomeny confirmed Durban is poised to exceed the 6 million international mark and show a significant 8% annual growth in passenger numbers.
British Airways is offering a launch special from Durban with discounts of to 11% on return fares. World Traveller launch fares start from R7 740.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Blake Guidry [1], [2].
Minister Malusi Gigaba Officially Re-opens Port Elizabeth Refugee Reception Centre
Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, on Friday officially re-opened the Port Elizabeth Refugee Reception Centre, which is now housed in a new building.
In 2011, the Department of Home Affairs closed the Port Elizabeth Refugee Reception Centre after apparently uncovering abuse of the system by migrants.
It had also argued that it made sense that new asylum seekers make their applications at South Africa’s ports of entry – and not when they are already inside the country. It also pointed out that most asylum seekers did not use Port Elizabeth as a point of entry.
However, the Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the closure of the centre was unconstitutional following a legal challenge brought by human rights activists. That is despite the centre serving a relatively small percentage of asylum seekers.
Still, the closure left many local refugees and asylum holders in despair as they were forced to travel to Pretoria regularly for their asylum checks.
Home Affairs tried to appeal the ruling, which was dismissed with costs by the Constitutional Court.
Thereafter, the Department of Home Affairs together with the Department of Public Works decided on a new location to build the new office with assistance from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Port Elizabeth Refugee Reception Office opened
Home Affairs Director-General, Mkuseli Apleni, officially opened part of the centre in June 2018, which has been operating ever since, but new applications were not accepted.
Following the opening on Friday by Gigaba, from Monday morning new asylum seekers and refugees will be allowed to use the state-of-the art Refugee Centre.
“Refuges are properly documented – for one to be called a ‘refugee’, by law, they must have undergone the process of status determination, which commenced with asylum applications,” Gigaba said in his address.
“Not all immigrants are refugees, but all refugees are immigrants, and whereas there are some immigrants, who may not be documented, but it is blatantly untrue that all immigrants in South Africa are undocumented and thus ‘illegal’.”
Economic migrants
He added that as government they aim to strengthen the capacity to manage the challenges to the asylum system occasioned by the number of economic migrants, who take advantage of the asylum seeker process to regularize their stay in South Africa.
Speaking on behalf of all refugees, Nassir Musa, from the East London Refugees Association, said: “This centre is going to help to ease the constraints we had on the previous office because there was not enough space and were having difficulties in assisting the asylum seekers.”
Although Musa hasn’t used the centre yet since it was opened in June, he said that he was very excited, adding that it was a top-class refugee centre.
Speaking for the Eastern Cape refugee centre that deals with social cohesion and migrants, Sweetness Spullen, said: “We receive a lot of complaints from refugees and asylum seekers, who were depending on other Provinces for their needs.
“This will make their lives easy because now they will be able to get services here.”
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
From The Hippo’s Ears: Mozambique
Facts you may not have know about Mozambique:
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in Southeast Africa. The capital of Mozambique is Maputo (formerly known as “Lourenço Marques” from 1876 to 1976). Mozambique is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Southern African Development Community, and is an observer at La Francophonie.
Mozambique has a population of approximately 28 million, is a Unitary, dominant-party, semi-presidential, constitutional republic, and gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
1. When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?
The common Portuguese greeting is “Olá” (hello), “Como estás?” (how are you?) It is also common to greet by saying “Bom dia” (good morning), “Boa tarde” (good afternoon), or “Boa noite” (good night), depending on the time of day.
2. What languages are spoken in the country?
The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half the population. Common native languages include Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili. Most Mozambicans living in the cities speak Portuguese as their first language. Makhuwa is spoken at home by the largest percentage of the population.
3. Do you use a twelve hour clock, or a twenty-four hour clock?
We use a 24-hour system.
4. What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in the country?
We drive on the left side of road. There are over 30,000 km of roads, but much of the network is unpaved.
5. How important is punctuality?
Punctuality is not a very important part of local culture, and people may arrive late for events.
6. Which types of music are popular? Who are some of the most popular musicians?
The music of Mozambique serves many purposes, ranging from religious expression to traditional ceremonies. Musical instruments are usually handmade. Some of the instruments used in Mozambican musical expression include drums made of wood and animal skin; the lupembe, a woodwind instrument made from animal horns or wood; and the marimba, which is a kind of xylophone native to Mozambique and other parts of Africa.
Mozambique’s own music is similar to reggae and West Indian calypso. Other music types are popular in Mozambique like marrabenta, kwaito, afrobeat and other Lusophone music forms like fado, bossa nova, kizomba and semba.
For a taste of Namibian music, listen to Lizha James’ Mutxangana, and Stewart Sukuma’s Xitchuketa Marrabenta.
7. Are there any Traditional Dances?
There are over 1000 traditional dances in Mozambique, each region, each village has their own traditions and variations of different rhythms and dances. There can be dances symbolising celebration, war, love or harvesting, however, today variations of the dances are mainly used as an individual expression or to represent the rich Mozambican culture at events. Watch some examples of traditional local dance here.
8. What traditional Festivals are celebrated in the country?
AZGO Festival in Maputo
This is an annual international music festival which takes place over 3 days in the outdoors. It includes a variety of bands, music documentaries, and workshops. Additional facilities include a food court and restaurants, stalls for food and drink as well as designer fashion, merchandising and crafts.
STRAB Festival in Ponta Malongane
STRAB is the abbreviation for the Subterranean Rhythm & Blues experience, an annual music festival which started out as live entertainment for a birthday bash held by a group of scuba divers in 2003. It has grown over the years and now features about 20 live bands. Since 2008 STRAB has continued to provide exposure to bands from rock to blues to jazz to fusions of these.
Independence Day Festivities in Maputo
Independence Day is celebrated in June. The festivities include live performances and traditional dancing. The national stadium is the venue for a fantastic concert during which many celebrated Mozambique bands perform. The President often attends and addresses the attendees. Many cultural events such as poetry, dancing and visual arts take place the week before.
TAMBO International Art Camp/Festival in Pemba
The city of Pemba hosts this colourful festival that celebrates cultural diversity through art, dance, theatre and music performances. Visitors will enjoy 7 days in which to make art, exchange ideas and enjoy various kinds of workshops. There will be live performances and opportunities to interact with traditional artists from Pemba and other parts of the world.
9. What are the seasons like?
Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. Climatic conditions vary depending on altitude. Rainfall is heavy along the coast and decreases in the north and south. Average temperature ranges in Maputo are from 13 to 24 °C (55.4 to 75.2 °F) in July (winter) to 22 to 31 °C (71.6 to 87.8 °F) in February (summer). Cyclones are common during the wet season.
10. What are some interesting facts about the President?
President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has served as Mozambique’s fourth President, in office since 2015. He previously served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2014. President Nyusi has also served on the board of directors of the state-owned Mozambique Ports and Railways authority (CFM), and as president of Clube Ferroviário de Nampula, a top-division football club based in Nampula. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Brno University of Technology in Czechoslovakia, and a postgraduate degree management from the Victoria University of Manchester in England.
Nyusi is a member of the Makonde ethnic community. He is married to Isaura Nyusi, and has four children.
11. What are the country’s major industries?
The largest economic sectors are gas and oil, agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, and tourism. Mozambique’s main exports include unwrought aluminum, tobacco, electricity, hydrocarbons nuts, seeds, and sugar cane.
12. How do people spend their free time?
Locals spend their free time watching popular sports, such as football and rink hockey, as well as trying out new restaurants and bars with family and friends.
13. What is a popular local drink?
Aside from the widely served Mozambican tea, known as Cha, and coffee, locally brewed beer made from maize is also very much enjoyed by people of Mozambique. Madeira, a Portuguese wine, is also popular in Mozambique.
14. What is a popular local dish?
The staple food for many Mozambicans is ncima, a thick porridge made from maize/corn flour. Cassava and rice are also eaten as staple carbohydrates. All of these are served with sauces of vegetables, meat, beans or fish. Other typical ingredients include cashew nuts, onions, bay leaves, garlic, coriander, paprika, pepper, red pepper, sugar cane, corn, millet, sorghum and potatoes.
15. What do you pay, on average, for the following? (1 USD = approx. MZN 61)
3 Course meal: MZN 1,100
Domestic beer (500ml): MZN 60
Cup of coffee: MZN 108
Coca cola (330ml): MZN 50
Milk (1l): MZN 92
Loaf of white bread: MZN 50
Apples (1 kg): MZN 125
Water (1.5l):MZN 52
16. Any general safety tips?
Although Mozambique does not pose a high crime rate, safety is still important when travelling. Remember to lock all your car doors when you leave your vehicle. Keep all valuables in a safe place when you leave the premises you are staying at. When site seeing and touring, make sure to keep the valuables you are carrying close by. Be careful of sharks when swimming in the sea, as there may not be nets. Do not go off the beaten track as Mozambique is known to have undetected landmines from its past civil war in isolated areas. Some areas may have restrictions on photography.
17. In conclusion, famous (and sometimes infamous) people from the country include:
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2], [3]. Image sources: Rohan Reddy [1].
Why You Should Use a Move Management Provider and What to Look For
To put it simply, move management is managing the process of moving one or more employees’ belongings from one location to another, but the process is far more complex than that. There are various different kinds of move management, different needs depending on the employee, and different considerations depending on the locations involved. There are also many unintended consequences that can arise when not paying close attention to your move management processes. Below, we share some insights to some important questions about the matter.
What, in essence, does move management encompass?
The control of an employee’s move from door to door. Component parts are controlled and broken down to save costs. Efficiencies are the key through the process. The communication with the assignee is retained by the controlling move management company, not the moving suppliers. Communication is directly from the move management company. Insurance is covered and control by the move management company.
Forwarders and carriers who demonstrate the highest degree of proficiency with the respect to country-specific import and export customs laws are selected. It is ensured that the selected network providers are fully credited and aligned with the corporate values.
Stress and time is removed from assignee and HR due to having one point of contact.
What are some of the downsides to a company deciding to orchestrate move management in-house, instead of using a provider?
The downside is your need for a moving expert to control the costs of the supplier. Also, there is a need for software to regulate the move experience and the corporate compliance.
In most cases the companies who carry do this in-house, could be biased to a certain vendor – ‘personal kickbacks”. The internal employee carrying out the function could be senior or junior to the assignee which can cause internal challenges.
Experience and day to day immersion in the industry is crucial, whether it is picking the right partners, understanding changes in protocol or simply knowing who is doing a good job and where – it is very hard for in-house teams to keep on top of this and remain independent. They also do not have the purchasing power that a move management company has, through the volumes of business that they provide partners they are able to provide significant cost savings to clients.
What are some advantages of using a move management provider?
Cost control and improved communication, and an improved assignee experience are amongst the advantages.
A move management company will aim to provide Independent, competitive, transparent service, and may be geographically positioned to understand the laws and custom requirements of the country being moved to.
A single point of contact is another advantage. Expertise and experience on each and every case, and reduced costs on the move itself along with insurance rates are also provided.
What should one look for when choosing a provider?
One should look for an experienced team with a good reputation and culture, combined with great communication skills.
The company should have a very good reputation in the specific country or countries involved in the move, and demonstrate this proficiency with service and quality evaluations, and price competitiveness. The provider should also understand the specific needs of the employee being relocated and possess the relevant accreditations.
What should I do if I’m struggling to work with my current provider?
Have a small RFP, go out to the friends in the market to gain a recommended supplier. Put a number of questions together of the key service requirements. Also put a rate matrix together based on origin and destination locations, volume based on previous moves in the last year. Better still, get the Move Management companies to provide three quotes each for door to door move and compare – it will be insightful.
Meet with the supplier and advise where they are not meeting the expectations set.
Complete an RFQ to get other suppliers to provide information as to how they would provide the service.
If this does not work out, you may need to find a new provider who suits your needs better.
Is it best to go with a global company, or one that specializes in the area I’m interested in?
It is better to build up a supplier network in each location you require and dictate which companies carry out the origin, freight services and another for the destination services.
Most move management companies would be global.
Should the company be based in my current location, or the one I’m moving to?
It can help with on the ground response, but is not necessary if you have a good supplier with a great partner network. With a single point of contact, it is not necessary to have local representation.
Insights on move management industry trends happening right now:
The current situation is that a lot of corporations are using a service provider where there is one point of contact to meet all their relocation requirements. This service is been outsourced to one service provider, or to regional service providers based on the corporation’s requirements. Corporations are vetting their service providers thoroughly, and may shop around should they be dissatisfied. Move management providers are aware that it is important to keep the needs of their clients top of mind at all times, update their accreditations if need be, and provide the best possible service within their capabilities to retain and grow their client bases.
A special thanks Ben Carter from Icon Relocation, George Holmes from Clearview Relocation, and Kim Becker from Africa Mobility Services for their insights, which we have shared with you below.
If you are looking for a move management solution, feel free to contact Relocation Africa via info@relocationafrica.com.
For information as to how else Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].