Aquarius positioned for growth in Beira

CTW Aquarius International has big plans for its operations in the port of Beira. Soon after opening offices in the port city, it is in the process of building a 10 000 sqm warehouse in response to a call by the port operator, Cornelder, for companies to help clear congestion in the port by providing alternative facilities. Volumes are expected to grow quickly now that the port has been dredged, says Kyle Swart, manager of Aquarius Shipping in Beira. The company, which handles Zimbabwean tobacco through warehouses in Gauteng, is managing exports of tobacco grown in Malawi and the Mozambican Tete province through Beira. The Beira office has also started handling Zambian copper and cobalt, and Swart is confident that these volumes will also grow. “Cargo owners and shippers are starting to trust Beira.” For copper and other high-value cargoes, Beira is seen as a safe alternative with good road links and an improving rail system. “Copper exporters are very happy with Beira. It has a lot of potential,” he says. Swart moved to Beira in May this year after it was decided to upgrade from a 10-year-old agency agreement to full offices. Having offices allows CWT Aquarius to offer ships agency services to vessels calling on the new coal terminal, which is currently under construction. In 2010, CWT Commodities purchased 60% of Aquarius Shipping in what the company called “a strategic move to strengthen its commodity logistics capabilities and business network in the Africa region”. CWT Aquarius has offices in Johannesburg, Lilongwe, Harare, Lusaka, Beira, Tete, Durban, London and Antwerp. “We are certainly entering interesting times. CWT is one of the biggest logistics companies in Asia and Europe, and they have the resources and network available to support the growth of Beira,” says Swart. And, for those who know him, he is not missing the bright lights of Gauteng. He is using the little spare time available to complete his B.Com Logistics.