Maersk focuses on door-to-door shipments

MAERSK LINE is currently undergoing a process they refer to as ‘streamline’ in order to become more responsive to customers’ needs. For inland countries like Zambia, this has led to the introduction of Maersk Logistics which began its operations in the country this July. This means Maersk Zambia can offer a complete service including pure logistics and not just shipping to its clients. For Maersk the biggest export opportunities in Zambia can be found in the mines as they believe production can only go up and therefore the mines will always require logistical solutions. Maersk has three vessels sailing to the Far East every week, two from Durban and one from Dar es Salaam. Cargo from Zambia mainly comprises copper, cotton and semiprecious stones. When it comes to imports, there is at present an influx of project cargo for the infrastructural expansion of the telecommunications and other industries. Combine this with the mere fact that Zambia imports most manufactured products such as clothing, commodities and consumer goods from the Far East, South America and many other places, and the future is looking very positive for imports. Because Zambia is landlocked, Maersk doesn’t only offer a service to port but also an extended service right to the client's door. It forms part of the Mozambique cluster which has its own trucks but also uses third parties to transport freight to Zambia by road. Beira is currently the preferred routing but the company also uses the ports of Durban, Walvis Bay and Dar es Salaam. Rail service is on offer from Durban to Lusaka, Kitwe, Chingola and Ndola and back. This service is mainly designed to attract high volume clients that can move a number of containers on a block train at one go and thus have a same position report on all their shipments. Dar es Salaam and Beira are serviced by truck into Zambia. Maersk only offers a service to port in Walvis Bay at present – there isn’t an inland leg yet but the company is looking at solutions for clients as they consider it to be a very good corridor for cargo from Europe.