Major Movers to and from Johannesburg

As the economic hub and financial capital of South Africa, Johannesburg sees constant movement, change, and expansion, and has done so ever since the early days when bare, dusty veld become a rough tented camp, Ferreira’s Camp, in 1886.

Camp, Settlement, City

Almost immediately, the camp rapidly grew into a rudimentary settlement, still ringing to the sounds of countless pickaxes, shovels, and spades as they struck rocky soil, in search of many a hopeful man’s fortune.

Suddenly, every man and his brother, who sought a means to make lots of money and become really wealthy goldmine owners, were moving to the Highveld’s Witwatersrand. It seemed as though all roads led to the fledgling Johannesburg, from within South Africa and the entire world beyond.

Almost immediately, the Johannesburg Gold Rush was underway, the greatest of its kind in South Africa back then and thereafter. More and more hopeful souls continued to stake claims, many of which revealed rich seams of the world’s most sought-after precious yellow metal. The dusty camp quickly became a settlement, which itself soon grew into a town and then a city – the City of Gold, Johannesburg, eGoli, or Jozi, the latter two nicknames being most popular amongst local residents.

“Transportryers”, Forerunners of Johannesburg’s Moving Companies

All this movement to Johannesburg was not solely restricted to people, since these very same people required tools, mining equipment, building materials, furniture, plus other necessities and niceties. While many arrived on the goldfields with all their worldly goods loaded onto their own ox wagons, others needed the transport services of a “transportryer”, the Afrikaans word meaning “transporter/transporting company” or “carrier” (of goods).

In this instance, goods were most likely carted from Cape Town. “Transportryers” were undoubtedly the forerunners of today’s sophisticated, specialised Johannesburg-based moving companies, industry leaders like Elliott.

Keep your Eye on your Claim

However, at the time of the Gold Rush, leaving one’s claim for the months that it would take to go to Cape Town, buy a wagon and span of oxen, as well as one’s mining equipment and other requirement, and thereafter tackling the long trek back to Johannesburg was too risky.

The goldfields’ mining area was also home to many so-called desperate and/or dishonest “claim jumpers”, who would seize the opportunity to occupy and take ownership of an unmanned claim at the drop of a hat.

This risk was too great to take, so this situation resulted in a boom-time for carriers and Johannesburg-bound moving companies. The first rail connection between Cape Town and Johannesburg was only completed and operations by 1892, largely as a result of the demands created by the Gold Rush, but prior to this, the mining and extended community relied on “transportryers”.

Moving Made Easy with Elliott

Elliott was established quite long ago too – in 1947. We specialise in the transport of all your treasured household possessions, after packaging and loading everything safely, and before reversing the process at your new destination.

Our proud associations – nationally and internationally – with other respected national and international role players in our particular industry puts us firmly in a position as one of the leading moving companies locally and worldwide – the perfect partners for you and your prized possessions in your next move.

Our head office is in Centurion, near Johannesburg. Both Elliott as well as Elliott Afrovan branches have been established and operate throughout southern Africa, (includes South Africa, Mozambique, and Swaziland). Our Elliott Afrovan company takes care of office relocations.

Both companies operate nationally and internationally in our respective market sectors, with and/or without the expert assistance of our other esteemed network partners, companies that share our vision, ethos, and commitment to excellence.

Needless to say, our valued in-house moving teams, respectively experienced in residential or office relocations, are committed and highly trained, sharing our vision – making your move to or from Johannesburg a seamless, problem- and stress-free experience. This is an important consideration in a process that may otherwise be daunting and very challenging.

Customised Solutions

Because each and every relocation is unique and pretty different from the next, we customise your moving process accordingly. This customisation may affect the size of the team that we sent to your premises, the amount and type of packaging material that is required to safeguard your possessions, and the time required to ensure that your goods are disassembled (if necessary), properly packed, loaded, transported, offloaded, and placed in the appropriate areas your new premises.

Optional Extra Assistance

Should you require optional extra assistance from a trusty handyman and valet service provider to help you to get your home in turnkey order, ready for your effortless occupation, please arrange this service with us when booking your move.

We also supply the appropriate vehicle/s from our state-of-the-art fleet. Each furniture-moving vehicle, which transports precious items that are fragile, particularly delicate, and easily damaged, is equipped with technology that is designed to make our task safe and more efficient, while ensuring that your possessions are safely handled, secured, and transported.

Services

Elliott specialised home relocation services include:

• Fine art relocation, which is incorporated in the contents of your home
• Professional relocation of your pets, with the able assistance of our partner concerns, which specialise in this field, thereby freeing you up to focus on other matters that pertain to your house move, knowing that you have peace of mind about your beloved pets that are part and parcel of your family, and knowing that they are well taken care of by experts in all aspects of proper pet transportation
• When you are moving from another country or across southern Africa, to or from Johannesburg, your vehicle is often required to move along with the rest of your household goods, rather than being self-driven by you from one location to the next, which may not be possible. You have the option to select Elliott partner arrangements to transport the vehicle by road, via their special vehicle carrier trucks. In the case of an overseas move, safe and secure sea freight containers are available – either in an exclusive vehicle container or sharing space in the same container, alongside the rest of your home’s contents
• Cycle Tour bike transport from Johannesburg to South Africa’s premier cycle race, the renowned Cape Town Cycle Tour, usually featuring more than 35 000 participants, is a cost-effective, stress-free, safe and secure breeze, (in-transit insurance cover of up to R20 000 included in the shipping cost), with Elliott. Simply drop off your road bike in Johannesburg, Centurion, or Durban, where it will be suitably and securely packaged, allowing for transportation in a ride-ready condition, enabling you to save your energy for and focus on race day.
• Although damage and insurance claims are rare events when moving with Elliott, it would be irresponsible not to recommend this cover for our clients’ peace of mind and pockets. Our FAIS-accredited consultants, situated at our head office, see to the administration functions of our insurance cover, which includes all-risk and marine insurance protection. An additional insurance fee applies. It is worth noting that our claims record is so comparatively low that our insurers, Hollard, permit us to process our own insurance claims expeditiously, unhindered by bureaucratic red tape.
• It just may happen that you require short-, medium-, or long-term storage solutions for your possessions, because your new premises are not yet available for occupation, or you do not require everything you own. It is Elliott to the rescue. Irrespective of what you wish to store, we will have an option to suit you, in dust-free storage depot containers, located in our modern, controlled warehouse facilities, which feature 24-hour security. An inventory list ensures that your access to your stored possessions is convenient and straightforward, as and when it suits you.

This by no means includes all the aspects and benefits of engaging Elliott, as your Johannesburg moving company, since there are almost too many to mention here. However, if stress-free, confident relocation in all its guises, combined with cutting-edge transport of your possessions is important to you, you may rest assured that it is at least equally important to us, if not more so.

Contact us for a free online moving quote today.