Maersk heaps praise on TPT financial commitment

Lars Reno Jakobsen has witnessed many changes in a decade of dealing with Africa – some good, others less so – but he remains a firm believer in giving credit where it is due, so will Transnet Port Terminals please stand up? The chief executive for Maersk Line responsible for operations in 48 sub- Saharan Africa countries, Lars Reno Jakobsen stresses: “Africa’s success in terms of exports means it has to keep moving.” Moving is certainly what TPT has been all about. “I have to praise Transnet. What they have done over the past year represents a visible leap and we hope it will get even better as the full effect of the massive financial commitment to the ports of Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth has yet to be fully realised.” Jakobsen says it is clear Transnet has adopted more of a focus in terms of planning and cooperation – so much so, it is not unusual for Maersk Line ships to arrive ahead of schedule, in anticipation of service. “In the old days, it was like an N2 traffic jam and delays were a costly business.” Africa, he says, requires very special planning given the great difficulty in obtaining dedicated berthing windows, hence the need for close cooperation between Maersk Line and port authorities. Airing his view on the new container port of Ngqura, he says: “If planned correctly, it could play an important part in reducing strain on Durban and Cape Town in particular. “Ngqura is not becoming an option, it is a necessity, to give us more options to choose from.”