Volumes at Independent Beira Logistics Terminals (IBLT) have remained steady, with the company reporting slight growth this year. According to general manager Marco Grobbelaar, this stability has been supported by the company’s focus on non-seasonal cargo, primarily bulk minerals such as cobalt, nickel, magnesium, copper concentrate, and lithium.“We don’t handle much seasonal cargo like fertiliser, which has helped maintain consistent volumes," Grobbelaar told Freight News. "In addition to minerals, we also manage cotton and a fair amount of fast-moving consumer goods. It’s been a very steady year, with an uptick in some of the cargo we handle, including t oba c c o."He also highlighted IBLT’s investment in reefer equipment, driven by increasing demand for imported frozen goods. “We’ve seen significant growth in this area and have plans to double our connection points as we target further expansion in the reefer sector.”Asked about challenges, Grobbelaar said the e-seal remained an obstacle. “It does have an impact on the overall turnaround and transport efficiency of transit cargo in Mozambique. The government launched the use of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (MECTS) in 2021 in order to bolster the supervision capacity for transit goods to promote legal cross-border and regional trade by reducing smuggling, theft and loss of goods across the supply chain. Logistics companies across the country have, however, reiterated that challenges persist with the system, which causes delays and increased cost to the supply chain.Trucks are electronically sealed and cargo tracked in real time by a company on behalf of the government. “This means that cargo cannot move until such time as the container has been sealed.”Grobbelaar said another ongoing challenge was delays at border posts, which significantly impacted truck turnaround times and ultimately increased costs. “We need to ensure that trucks move through border posts more efficiently to keep our corridor competitive. While we offer the advantage of a shorter distance to the hinterland, the delays we experience at the borders undermine that benefit," he explained. "Improving these processes is crucial if we want to maintain our edge in the logistics market." LV
