'Belief' in port of Beira pays dividends

Beira has all the right ingredients in place to continue as the preferred gateway for Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and central Mozambique, says Rod Goncalves, operations director of CWTAquarius Shipping International. With CWT-Aquarius having had a presence in Beira for the past eight years, Goncalves is full of praise for the port authorities and transporters who are continuously breathing new life into the port. The dredging of the port in 2011 has supported further expansion and investment. CWT-Aquarius has seen volumes grow thanks to its presence in Beira. “But, it is not only about us. It is all the ingredients. Cornelder, the port operator under managing director Carlos Mesquita and marketing manager Felix Machado, are incredibly experienced and professional. They are focused on developing and increasing the volumes through the port of Beira. “But it is not just a one-sided investment by any single party. The transport providers are just as important. They have invested millions in trucks and facilities to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the Beira corridor.” Due to the efficiencies of the corridor, CWT-Aquarius has secured various contracts with some of the biggest mineral exporters, he said. The company also shares new tobacco warehousing space in the port with Cornelder and UTi. This will give it a total of around 10 000 sqm of warehouse space in the port. Such is the growth in business and volumes that CWT-Aquarius is also in the process of establishing additional facilities outside of the port to handle various commodities and other services. Efficiencies and success are achieved in Beira by starting with a “belief in the port of Beira and the people”. Shipping lines, freight forwarders and other companies using the port should be prepared to “get their hands dirty” and help find solutions to the challenges rather than criticising it and diverting cargo elsewhere. “When issues do occur in the port, all parties should work together to solve them. “CWT-Aquarius is in Beira to help the port grow. The service providers have shown that they are willing to commit investment on their side if the volumes are there,” he says. Shipping lines, which are part of the growth, will be better positioned into the future to serve their customers through the port, he adds. CAPTION The city of Beira at night … the economy is lighting up thanks to investments by both the private and public sector.