Co-ordination is key to reaping benefits of project boom

South Africa’s project cargo industry is being severely challenged by the historical lack of attention to succession management from a general transport point of view. This means that through the transport industry there is a severe shortage of experienced, project-related staff who are knowledgeable in the field, says Lars M Greiner, MACS project manager for southern Africa. From a Transnet point of view, he says, there appears to be a lack of overall coordination between the various elements and companies within the parastatal. “Often one organisation comes out with a regulation that contradicts the practices of another that Transnet already has in place. It is important to have some national plan relating to how project cargoes, specifically those key to national development, should be handled.” He says while Macs is fortunate to have a largely stable and established team of staff who work on any project cargoes, these are all challenges affecting the industry at present. “There is a huge amount of growth into Africa, and South African companies are at the helm. I believe the trade between South Africa and the rest of Africa presents a unique opportunity for South African growth and development, especially when it comes to the project sector,” Greiner told FTW, making it even more essential to find solutions to the challenges posed. With the South African mining houses leading the way into Africa – along with oil now found in the north of Mozambique and the coal developments in the area – there is opportunity everywhere. “I believe we will see Mozambique become a significant destination in the southern African projects sector in the near future,” says Greiner. “The DRC remains a booming market, while the ongoing power station developments for Eskom continue to ensure a steady stream of project cargoes into South Africa. The projected development of Durban port and Transnet Freight Rail plans also bode well for further growth in South Africa.” He says another huge opportunity remains the development of green energy sources, with several windmill and solar projects seemingly ready to go.