The Cape Town, South Africa, base of – the world’s largest trade-only airfreight and express wholesaler – has doubled the size of its facility, and trebled its temperature-controlled storage for perishables.

AMI has acquired the facility adjacent to its current base at Cape Town International Airport, doubling its warehousing to 1,000 sqm. This includes 120 sqm. of refrigerated storage, with separate temperature zones for flowers, and fruit and vegetables.

The expanded facility will enable AMI to receive fresh produce from South Africa’s Cape region – including seafood, fruit, vegetables and flowers – and maintain their condition while awaiting their flights.

Says AMI’s VP Africa, Milton French: “The expanded AMI Cape Town facility and our increased perishables capability will help us to keep pace with the significant growth in traffic from this region.”

AMI’s South African business operates through branches in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Durban has shown dramatic growth of 118 per cent over the past four months. Meanwhile, during January-August 2016, AMI held a 6.9 per cent share of the total South African airfreight market, and ranked third in the country’s airfreight agents’ league table.