Maputo Car terminal becomes transit hub

South African motor
companies that have been
stalling decisions around
using the port of Maputo
may well find that they are
temporarily stuck in the traffic
when they do decide to use the
facilities built by Grindrod.
According to Domingos
Bié, operations manager of the
Grindrod Maputo Car terminal,
it is now handling around
three thousand units a month,
with the majority being transit
cargo.
The investment was made on
the expectation that Gautengbased
original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) would
use the Maputo corridor for the
export and import of vehicles.
What has happened instead
is that growing numbers of
second-hand vehicles are being
imported through Mozambique
for neighbouring countries
following a clamp-down by
the South African authorities
on second-hand imports being
driven through the country.
All have to be transported
“off wheel” on vehicle carriers,
adding to the cost.
Maputo is also being used
as a staging area for vehicle
exports to the Middle and Far
East, as well as other African
ports along the east and west
coasts.
Höegh Autoliners, which
purchased a share in the
terminal in 2008, calls directly
on Maputo from Europe.
The line’s newest vessel, a
4 900 unit capacity PCTC, is
called the Höegh Maputo.
A monthly Middle East
to India and Africa trade
was launched in July 2009.
It connects Jebel Ali and
Mumbai with South and East
Africa. Maputo transhipments
also connect to West Africa,
Oceania and the US East Coast.
The port is also the
transhipment port on the
Europe, Middle and Far East
service.
Maputo’s vehicle terminal is
also handling high and heavy
cargo, such as conveyor belts
loaded in mafi trailers bound
for the Moatize coal deposit
in the Zambezi Valley or Tete
Province.
Bié says the terminal has
plans in place to accommodate
the South African OEMs if they
decide to use it.
Phase two is ready to roll,
bringing the total to 3 500
parking bays and a capacity of
50 000 units a month. Low-volume South African
importers making use of the
terminal at present are Tata,
Mahindra and Fiat.