TRANSMAGNIFIC OUTSTANDING IN AFRICA

Mbabane - SiyeSwatini TransMagnific has flexed its muscles, took on transport continental giants, including airlines, and emerged the second most outstanding tourism transport provider in Africa.

This was during the recent third annual Africa Tourism Leadership Forum held at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda, which was themed, “Shaping a better future for intra-Africa travel together.”

These highly coveted transport awards received about 357 entries. TransMagnific was the only road transportation service provider sandwiched by two airlines - Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir - that made it to the top three. The crown was bagged by Ethiopian Airlines, TransMagnific was the first runner up and RwandAir was the third runner up.

SiyeSwatini TransMagnific Founder and Managing Director Miliswa Mamba said this was another defining moment for the business.

“It is a huge honour, specifically because from day one, our purpose has been operating a road transport business like an airline. We only have one airline in the country and it is expensive not but choice, but because if you are an international flight you pay higher airport tax. 

“This then made it easier for tourists who have landed in South Africa to take flights within South Africa than to come to Eswatini, because a flight to Cape Town from Johannesburg for instance, is cheaper than a flight to Eswatini. Therefore, our concept from day one was to give tourists something closer to an airline that can get them to Eswatini in the same convenience and comfort. The fact that we were recognised with airlines means we are achieving our goal and vision,” she said. 

Mamba dearly thanked her devoted team for helping the company to achieve this highly coveted continental recognition. The company has 28 direct employees. “We are a massive group of people and each one of us workedhard in our small corners to make this happen. All of us doing our little sections is what makes it possible for us to succeed,” she said.

She also thanked their clients who were willing to try their services when they started the business while most people were still skeptical. “Because they continued to use our services, they created a new culture for people to use our services, instead of driving to South Africa for instance and this why we were able to stay in business,” she said. 

The company started with a single navy blue quantum in May 2008, but now has 14 vehicles. However, Mamba said growing the business fleet of vehicles costed a pretty penny. 

“When we started, we would go with one person for E500 to South Africa and come back empty. We continued to do that consistently until Emaswati recognised that our services are an option,” she said. 

Despite the fact that their fleet of vehicles are on the road eight times a day for 365 days as a minimum, Mamba said their road safety record currently stands at 98.9 per cent. On days when they have other routes, the number of trips per day goes up to 14-15. 

She attributed this to the fact that they screen their drivers, assess and train them before they start undertaking trips with clients.  

In the next five years, Mamba said they want to have an airline, “we can start flying locally but we need to fly the world from Eswatini. The airport is already there. We can have our road transport and our airline to complete the loop to make Eswatini accessible.”

‘It’s been worst year’

Despite this decisive success, it has been the worst year for SiyeSwatini TransMagnific due to COVID-19.

The company’s founder and managing director said they felt the impact of COVID-19 in terms of the way it changed everything and the way everyone is now living in fear.

“For us it meant closing during the lockdown. During Level 2, essential travel was allowed and those were the only trips that we were doing. We had a number of expatriates who were leaving the Kingdom and a number of emaSwati who were returning to the country. We thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for working with us, because we had to communicate with other governments and embassies to get emaSwati home and to get expatriates in Eswatini back to their home countries,” she said.

However, she said they also learned a number of lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and one of them is that, digital is the future. “Even our customers who believed in walk-ins have started using digital communication means. Also, from day one, safety has been our leading value. 

“Now, we have learned different levels of safety, beyond just cleanliness. Although public transport operators have been allowed to load passengers up to 100 per cent passengers and 70 per cent for long distances, we have opted to use 65 per cent, unless they are a family. I don’t know how long that will be, but our stance is that we will keep it that way for a while,” she said. 

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