10 years in Africa with Africa Mobility Services

Published on 16 February 2023

Interview with CEO Kim Becker

Africa Mobility Services (AMS) is a network of mobility companies within Africa for moving, relocation, and logistics needs. CEO Kim Becker looks back at the past decade and comments on current developments.

From start-up to self-sufficient company

When Kim joined the AMS in 2016, we had one office with a warehouse in Luanda, the capital of Angola. There is a shared-service division in Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa. AMS was able to expand their business to the Republic of Congo in Pointe Noire and Brazzaville, Southern Africa; AMS has alliance partners in 22 other countries in Africa. “I would say the business has evolved exponentially over the last ten years!” says Kim. Another milestone Kim mentions is achieving the ISO 9001 quality certificate and the ISO 45001 OHS certificate. “We will keep improving and expanding and look forward to the years to come.”

Africa Mobility Services & added value

AMS was able to expand based on their core values: responsiveness, quality, integrity, and effective communication. “Because we are a small organization, we can pay close and individual attention to our partners’ and clients’ needs. This is a team effort.”

The pandemic

For AMS, the COVID pandemic led to a busy period. “We work for many energy companies in Angola and Congo. As a result of the pandemic, many engineers and staff that worked on the oil wells or the offices, left the country, because of the lack of health support standards are lower in these countries, compared to Europe and the USA.” Furthermore, AMS also provides logistic services to an organization that supplies the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) work in Southern and West Africa, e.g., distributing pharmaceuticals, HIV and COVID medication.

Challenges in Africa

Although this is not limited to Africa, the biggest challenge is getting commitment from shipping lines to meet deadlines and to restrict delays. When you ship to or out of a country in Africa, each country has different requirements regarding customs and tax regulations. “With 56 countries in Africa, it can be quite daunting. We ask our local partners to wait for our green light, to ensure that all the necessary documentation is received, before the shipment can be dispatched.”

Sustainability

In conjunction with a local partner in Angola, a warehouse was designed and built for the moving and logistics in Angola. Sustainable features provided are solar energy and water, and packaging materials are recycled. AMS also focuses on training their employees. “Our people are our most important asset. That is why we want to work with organizations that share our sustainability ethos and our social value system.” AMS supports the Hockey Dreams Foundation that sustains the development of communities in African countries. AMS sponsors hockey coaches and hockey teams in Zambia, Uganda, and Malawi. “For our 10-year anniversary, we have developed the Right to Write initiative, where we collect pens for schools in rural areas. This helps poor children to go to school and get an education; education creates employment, employment generates cash for the community and village where they live, which contributes to the sustainability of the country!”

About Africa Mobility Services

Do you want to learn about AMS and their services? Take a look at their website!

This article was published in the third edition of our Voerman Magazine.