A large-scale project

Celebrating the art of the communities settled on the Bamenda Plateau, the exhibition also featured vast sculptures, metalwork, beadwork, textile creations and traditional dances. Displays showcased the traditions, skills and culture of Cameroon while demonstrating the importance of preserving and sharing heritage as well as its relevance and usefulness today.

Organised in collaboration with the La Route des Chefferies, the sub-Saharan association that works to safeguard and enhance Cameroon’s cultural, natural and creative heritage, nearly 300 works in all were staged along a route designed to offer a view into the heart of Bamileke society.

The artefacts, passed down through generations of traditional rulers, were punctuated by modern Cameroonian artworks to highlight the chiefdoms’ cultural influence on contemporary art and emphasise that their legacy lives on in today’s society.

A journey of obstacles

The story begins in Bafoussam, a city 15 hours’ drive from Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital. Although the items had previously been collected from each chiefdom and consolidated by La Route des Chefferies, they still had to be inventoried. Together with an expert from the museum, the AGS crew made meticulous notes on each piece’s condition and dimensions to prepare it for packing and transport.

It would take three weeks on site to build the custom wooden crates required to transport the collection. But the real challenge would prove to be the transport itself. To get the pieces to Douala would take no fewer than six journeys by truck along crumbling roads and under police escort, owing to the tensions in the country.

“Passing through the police checkpoints was extremely complicated,” explains David Lafontaine, Director of AGS Cameroon. “Although we had prepared all the necessary certificates and authorisations, we still had to open the crates in the presence of a lawyer, to prove that the goods inside matched the declaration.”

After drawn out discussions and hours of waiting, the AGS crew was finally able to get underway. It then took six flights between Douala and Lièges, Belgium, to transport the works to Europe. The return journey was easier as they could be placed on a single flight. Although it would take another six trips to get them back to Bafoussam.

A job for specialists

AGS has been operating in Cameroon since 1995 and has expanded to two offices and 45 employees. Both branches offer physical and digital records management, FF&E installation for the hotel industry, relocation and moving solutions, as well as the specialised services required to move prized works of art and museum artefacts.

Transporting these precious objects requires a particular set of skills: not only must the packaging be adapted to minimise the effects of moisture and humidity, but the crews must be trained to appreciate the objects in their care and know how to handle them correctly using the proper grips and moves.

Moves involving culturally valuable items also require painstaking preparation. Obtaining the necessary authorisations and documentation, such as CITES certificates, is crucial to prevent delays or additional handling. Clear and timely communication between the various stakeholders is key to avoiding misunderstandings, delays or unforeseen stops in the logistical chain.

Importantly, the preparation phase must take into account the protocols and procedures of the local authorities. In Cameroon, for example, it took three months from the first visit to Bafoussam to deliver the objects to the Quai Branly museum. This was mainly due to the one and a half months needed to obtain the export authorisation from the Ministry of Arts and Culture. Fortunately, the collection could be stored securely in the AGS warehouse during this time.

“The team is proud of the success of this complex project,” adds David. “An assignment of this scale doesn’t come along every day, and it allowed them to demonstrate not only their professionalism but also their ingenuity and responsiveness to ensure that the pieces arrived safely and in time for the exhibition.”

Throughout our global network, AGS crews are trained and experienced in transporting precious antiques and works of art.

If you have a valuable collection that needs to travel, contact us today for your free quote.

Complicating this undertaking was the country’s mountainous terrain in the west, which requires special expertise in transport and logistics to navigate. Spurred on by the challenge, the AGS Kenya team started planning the operation.

Preparation is the key to success

“The fragile equipment used in cinemas and amphitheatres had to be transported with care. We also alerted our insurance company to ensure that the value of the operation was covered,” says Célia Richard, AGS Kenya’s Sales and Business Development Manager.

Upon arrival at the Port of Nairobi, AGS repacked the equipment, depalletised and grouped it according to its destination. In total, the AGS team would make six deliveries: two in Mombasa, and one each in Lamu, Kisumu, Nairobi and Nakuru.

Put to the test on a paradise island

The delivery to Lamu posed unique challenges. Located off the Kenyan coast, the island is over 500km away from Nairobi and is strictly car free. “The half-hour ferry trip was challenging, but guiding a hand-drawn cart loaded with fragile cargo through the sand was the true test of our skills. Fortunately, the delivery address was not far from the jetty,” says Célia.

Since the 1960s, in the wake of eccentric jet-setters like Mick Jagger, Lamu has become a popular tourist destination. Today, 80% of the island’s economy is based on tourism. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite this, time has left the island largely unchanged. Here, luxury lies in simple pleasures: fresh fish cooked on the grill, mangoes and papayas eaten barefoot on the beach and spectacular sunsets.

“The complex logistics involved make deliveries to Lamu extremely rare,” adds Thibault Malezieux, Director of AGS Kenya. “The team’s coordination was incredible, and we were thrilled to see the outcome!”

Country-wide, the operation only took a few days, and by the 21st of June, everything was delivered. As planned, the Lamu Cultural Centre was inaugurated in July by the ambassador of France to Kenya.

Do you need assistance or advice on your move to Kenya? Contact us!

Located some sixty kilometres from Abidjan, the logistics centre is constructed on an 18,000 m² plot of land acquired by MOBILITAS in 2019. It consists of offices and workspaces for local teams as well as three depots adapted to the group’s core activities: 1,000 m³ are dedicated to removals, 2,000 m² to records management and 3,600 m² to storage facilities. And that’s not all: the new site comes with a 5,000 m² outdoor parking area for shipping containers and trucks and operations and can be expanded onto a 6,000 m² adjacent plot of land if required.

Technology at the service of customers

To serve the best interests of clients, the premises has been designed to be on the cutting edge of technology. The removals division, the historical activity of AGS Côte d’Ivoire, uses specific packaging material appropriate for the protection of its clients’ personal effects, with 35 different products, for example.

The records management division has a storage capacity of nearly one million boxes. Fully racked and equipped storage facilities allow for the secure and confidential management of client data, separate sorting and digitisation rooms optimise the digitisation of client documents, and secure document destruction solutions have also been incorporated. Additionally, the site is ISO 9001 certified, which guarantees the control of business processes and infrastructure security.

Finally, the warehousing division provides AGS clients with a modular space of between 1000 and 3000 m² as well as handling, management and remote-control services for client stocks and flows.

Côte d’Ivoire, the cornerstone of AGS in Africa

In total, 63 employees and more than 20 physical and digital records management trainees work on the new site. For Country Manager Guillaume Dehem, “the exceptional investment that the group has made in Côte d’Ivoire is a continuation of what we have learnt here over the past 30 years”. “The new facilities appear to be the “largest company in the region,” underlined Sylvestre Toppé, representative of the mayor of Yaou. “We are very moved because we never thought that in our commune, and particularly in Yaou, we would celebrate such a great achievement.”

Since 1993, AGS Côte d’Ivoire has been the group’s incubator for the entire African continent. “The country has been, and remains, the base, the foundation on which the group has relied to innovate and develop in all African countries. It has taught us everything,” assured Paul Massardier in his inaugural speech. “We have applied what we have learned here to the whole of the continent.”

Looking to the future with the heritage division

The group’s vice president quoted President Felix Houphouët Boigny: “A miracle, like a gamble, is prepared, planned, measured, decided upon and achieved through willpower and perseverance,” to compare the evolution of the country with that of the AGS Group in Côte d’Ivoire.

With a turnover exceeding 2 billion FCFA in 2021, it is evident that many clients from various sectors (banking, insurance, industry, services, public administration, etc.) have placed their trust in AGS Côte d’Ivoire. In total, the branch has stored more than 200,000 boxes of archives and scanned more than 3 million pages for all its clients.

And AGS Côte d’Ivoire does not intend to stop there. The branch is already positioning itself for the future with the development of the heritage division, which is designed to provide solutions for the preservation and enhancement of heritage.

To take advantage of the state of the art removals, storage and records management service offered by AGS Côte d’Ivoire, contact Country Manager Guillaume Dehem at guillaume.dehem@ags-globalsolutions.com.

The Kenyan government, which has actively taken measures and implemented reforms to attract foreign investment, has established a very strong relationship with France.

Supported at every step by Bpifrance, French companies that have invested in Kenya have been able to develop their business and find reliable partners and associates.

They combined French and Kenyan expertise and are proud to hire talented Kenyans alongside with their French counterparts.

Thibault Malezieux, Managing Director AGS Worldwide Movers Kenya agrees: “Thanks to its stability, good infrastructure and people with high skills level, Kenya is and always has been a favoUrable country to operate in”.

”Located in Nairobi since 1995, AGS Global Solutions used it logistics expertise to deliver the hampers throughout Kenya.

Learn more about this initiative and the French companies who contributed to the hampers.

What’s more, our personalised and innovative services will make your journey all smooth sailing!

Contact our Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth or Johannesburg branch, and let us be the carrier of choice for your treasured items!

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When AGS Togo driver Lambert retired after 24 years of unbroken service, it was the first going away party Branch Manager Emilie Ducert had had to organise in a long time.

An AGS veteran of 12 years herself, she explains: “Our employees are very loyal. Of the permanent staff, there is not one that has been here for less than a decade.”

 
Long-serving employees like Emilie and Lambert are found throughout the AGS Group. They play a vital role in our organisation, using their years of experience to anticipate potential issues to the benefit of our clients.

“Customers also love to see the person who moved them into their house when they are moving out again. It creates a sense of trust. In that sense, the veterans play an important role as ambassadors for the business,” Emilie adds.

 
But building customer relationships is only part of why we value our seasoned staff. They are also crucial in training the younger generation, imparting priceless expertise that would normally take years to accumulate. This is how we ensure that when the next Lambert is ready to retire, there is always someone ready to fill his capable shoes.

 
Emilie believes that passing the baton is a unique part of AGS culture and a big contributor to the feeling of family that pervades the Togo branch: “We have a very close relationship with the staff. Whenever we can, we help them. It’s this spirit that they appreciate and, if you ask me, it’s why our going-away parties are few and far between.”

Needing a reliable company to move you from or to Togo? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

We’d love to move you.

Lambert’s farewell occurred before the pandemic, pictures do not show the masks

Feature image: The only cake befitting AGS Togo’s longest-serving truck driver

Did you know that Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world?

Born 340 years ago in the homes of South Africa’s Dutch, German and French settlers, it is an offshoot of Dutch with English, German and Malay influences. It is also one of the smallest official languages, with only 13 million speakers.

At AGS Movers South Africa, we offer our services in Afrikaans, English, Xhosa or any other of our country’s 11 official languages. Our sales reps at our branches in Cape Town, JHB, Port Elizabeth and Durban are ready to help you.

“Ons staan reg om jou te help.”

“Sikulungele ukukunceda”

Situated in the Kigali Special Economic Zone – a 276-hectare stretch of land reserved for foreign direct investment – the warehouse represents the AGS Group’s first opportunity to own a local facility since beginning operations in the country in 1996.

“This building is a sign of our commitment to our Rwandan clients,” says AGS Group Business Development Director, Samuel Mergui. “It is an expression of our trust in the future development of the country.”

With an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.1% since 2000, Rwanda has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. The new facility will increase the Group’s capacity to absorb the business of the growing local removals market.

In line with international standards, the warehouse will be outfitted with comprehensive security, including full perimeter fencing, CCTV, an on-site security presence and armed response.

The project forms part of the AGS Group’s larger plan to expand its removals operations in Africa. Additional facilities are planned for the Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Zambia in 2021.

AGS Tanzania was tasked with transporting a collection of naturalised insects to the MARKK entomology museum in Hamburg, Germany, earlier this year.

The museum borrowed the insects from the Tanzanian National Institute for Medical Research for display at an exhibition dedicated to the Amani Biological and Agricultural Institute in Tanzania.

AGS Tanzania and AGS Germany worked closely together to ensure the successful completion of this very delicate project.

“The project implementation took around three months,” explains AGS Tanzania Branch manager, Baptiste di Tria.

“The main challenge was to obtain permits for the insects to leave and return to the country. We had to work in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture to obtain all the permits “.

At the end of the special exhibition, AGS was on hand to ensure that the collection made its way back home to Tanzania safely, rising to the challenge presented by this unusual – and unique – cargo.

There are two types of stories that people like to tell about Africa. One is the tale of the dark continent, a place where potholes pit every road and politicians perpetually extend outstretched palms. The other is a more recent story, that Africa’s time has come. And that if you wait too long, you’ll miss out on the great investment opportunity that is the African continent and its people.

As Director of the African Network for the AGS Group, and with over 16 years of experience living and working in Africa in the logistics and removals industries, Frenchwoman Nathalie Jeanneau has heard both stories often. But in the course of her visits to the Group’s branches – at least one in each of the continent’s 54 countries – she gets many opportunities to see for herself which story rings truer on the ground.

“Africa does pose extra challenges,” she freely admits. “Sometimes our phone calls don’t connect, sometimes a branch has no electricity because there is a power cut and there is a shortage of gas for the generator. But you find a solution. If one way doesn’t work, you try another way. There is no problem so big it cannot be overcome.”

In Africa, a flexible and innovative approach to doing business is key, she stresses – the ability to adapt to unforeseen changes in the political or natural environment. “But,” she quickly adds, “that’s true for business anywhere, not just in Africa.”

Nevertheless, Nathalie knows that these are the challenges that, for many people, make doing business on the continent too much hassle. But she believes that knowledgeable local staff, who are sensitive to the culture and history of their country, play a big role in making business possible and ensuring that clients’ projects run smoothly.

“We have excellent branch managers who run exceedingly tight ships. They have to if we want to stay competitive. We bid against the historic removals companies who have expanded into Africa like we have, but also against newer local companies. They are FIDI-accredited, and their service is as good as anything you can find in Europe. And the customers, they’re savvy and knowledgeable, very business minded.”

These customers form part of an Africa-wide market that, according to the Brookings Institute, constitutes more than one billion consumers who, by 2030, will be spending an estimate of $2.5 trillion every year. Add to that the rapid urbanisation and rising incomes of recent years and it’s little wonder that businesses looking to expand have Africa squarely in their sites.

“What is left to do in Europe? What is left in Asia?” Nathalie asks. “Those markets are saturated, and companies are looking to new horizons for growth. Africa is very attractive. We have an abundance of labour, a wealth of natural resources, and space. Everything still has to be built and developed, there is everything to play for. I do think Africa’s time has come, and I intend for AGS to help make it happen.”