CMA-CGM rises to the challenge of Africa

THE HUGE trade opportunities opening up on the African continent cannot be ignored by any international operator, a fact which has encouraged the French Line, CMA-CGM to investigate upgrading its services to South, West and East Africa, says director Arnaud de Pere. Leading a delegation of CMA-CGM officials on a survey tour of South Africa last week, he told clients and agents in Johannesburg: "There are shipping problems throughout the continent, but it is our task to overcome these, utilising the services of competent agents to look at ways of furthering our operations throughout Africa, and to strengthen our South African partnership with ISS-Voigt Shipping." The line is a partner in the Good Hope Express service between the Far East, South Africa and South America and on the WAX-Asia/West African Express Service . "It has worked well," says De Pere. "There are problems up the West Coast brought about by the years of economic decline in the region. But we see a revival in democracy emerging there which can be translated into the institution of reforms and privatisation schemes, which gives real hope for the future." At the same time Durban port congestion has been a problem, but says Paul Voigt, managing director of ISS-Voigt Shipping, this has merely meant 'getting stuck in and sorting out our own side of it to meet requirements.' The service has opened up new avenues for exporting and importing, says Voigt, and has been most successful. The cross trade service operated by CMA-CGM has meant the line - which is now the ninth largest container carrier in the world - can incorporate transhipment routes to the US and Caribbean ports. From the West African standpoint, says De Pere, harbours in the region have not followed the same pace towards the standardisation of handling operations which has been taking place in the rest of the world. Some ports are not fitted with gantry cranes and only self-loading vessels can be used at these destinations. "West African ports are also often congested, waiting times are lengthy and unloading modalities are subject to hindrances not always relevant to transportation-related issues. Even then, once the box is discharged the most difficult task is often to have it reach its final hinterland destination. "But it is not the first time that CMA-CGM has taken up such a challenge," he says. "It has given agents a good opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in countering problems, and they have come up tops."