Maputo sets its sights on Zambia traffic

‘We have the capacity to provide competitive service and price’ KEVIN MAYHEW AN INVESTMENT of millions of dollars in facilities by the Mozambique International Port Services (MIPS) during the past eight years has seen a steady increase in TEUs handled and it is now operating at 45% of capacity. What is more exciting for its management and staff is that the achievement comes on the eve of the 10th anniversary of MIPS in September this year. “We have proven ourselves capable of handling greater capacity. Maputo is perfectly poised to take its rightful place in the region as an exit and entry point for its landlocked neighbouring countries and South African provinces such as Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo,” says MIPS new business development manager, Jan Bekker. Bekker also reports a very healthy working relationship with the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI), the representative body promoting the Gauteng/Maputo Corridor as, in many cases, a more practical and cost-effective export option than Durban. This is particularly relevant for Durban-bound road and rail cargo from destinations such as Zambia and even the Democratic Republic of Congo that passes through Komatipoort en route to the strained facilities of Durban and Richards Bay. “Incredibly, no container traffic from Zambia that goes via Komatipoort en route to Durban is presently routed through Maputo. One of our aims is to convince Zambian and other southern African countries that Maputo is an oversight that is probably costing them, and we have the capacity and the will to provide a competitive service and price – even with the removal of the $100 congestion surcharge in Durban,” he said. The port sees itself as part of the region’s development infrastructure and not a direct competitor to other ports, he added.