Asia-Maputo service gets positive feedback

While the introduction of a
direct service connecting
Asia to Madagascar and
Maputo has not been smooth sailing at
all times, it has been received well and
feedback so far has been very positive,
says Christopher Crookall, managing
director of Maersk Mozambique.
He says volumes are slowly picking
up on the new service which since the
end of July has seen a vessel a week
docking at the Port of Maputo.
“We did not expect the new service
to be full from the get go and we have
had our share of landside teething
problems, but overall the service has
been welcomed by clients and roleplayers
alike.”
According to Crookall, Maersk is
actively involved in negotiations with
role-players to improve the quality
of the entire supply chain. “For the
first time cargo is being containerised
inland and then exported via the Port
of Maputo and it is important that the
inland supply chain runs smoothly.”
One of the problems has been that
while large numbers of bookings are
received weekly for the vessel, often
they don’t turn into a shipment due to
delays in the supply chain.
“We are all working together to
improve the service,” says Crookall.
“And volumes are picking up. It makes
economic sense to use the Port of
Maputo, and once people realise they
can save significantly by shipping
through this port, we expect to
see growth.”
He says while there are no
immediate plans to extend services
to the Port of Maputo, as demand
increases more direct connections to
the rest of the world will become a
reality for the port.
“We are not going to over-extend
at present, but as the Maputo corridor
becomes more efficient, the demand
for direct services will increase and we
will aim to service that demand.”