Matola Cargo Terminal reinvents itself

In response to the decision by the

Mozambican customs authority

to move its customs clearance

facility to a new terminal near

the Ressano Garcia border with

South Africa – along with changes

in the export mix – Matola Cargo

Terminal (MCT) has “reinvented”

itself through an investment of over

R100 million in its facilities.

According to chairman of the

MCT board Dawie Ferreira, the

company’s terminal now offers “the

most fully integrated warehouse

facility in Matola”.

Such is the demand for the

warehousing services being

provided that MCT is upgrading

and modernising the facility in

order to increase capacity

and productivity.

“Creating good

logistical assets

is an expensive

process, and fully

utilising these

assets is always a

challenge.

“We attempt to

create the exact

capacity and

assets

required by our customers and to

support that with efficient and costeffective

services.

“There may be other warehouses

around Matola, but very few have

the ability to offer a fully integrated

solution.

“This is where we believe we have

a competitive advantage.

“Our focus is on providing

warehousing and distribution

services to blue chip customers

such as BAT, Unilever, CDM (SAB),

Coca-Cola and others,” he says.

The company is however investing

in people as well as facilities and

equipment.

“We have just appointed three

new managers who bring new

skills and energy to the company

to support and lead the

repositioning of MCT as a

logistical service provider of

choice.

“We are currently

recruiting a new managing

director for MCT.”

There is also a renewed

focus on training.

“One of the major challenges

in Mozambique is to find

good, experienced and skilled

employees. We have

embarked on an

in-house development

programme where

we have identified

promising junior

managers and

placed them

on individual

development

programmes.

“We prefer

to employ local

Mozambicans,”

he says.

MCT, which

occupies a

large tract of

strategically

positioned

land in Matola on the western border

of Maputo, needs fresh thinking and

skills to continue adapting to the

changing needs of the market.

An example is that cold rooms

previously used for citrus are now

storing tobacco.

At present the bulk of citrus

exports from the Lowveld are

being shipped through Durban or

are containerised in reefers before

transhipment

through

Mozambique.

In contrast,

exports of minerals

through Maputo

are growing.

MCT has built

its own mineral

terminal on site,

which is operated

by sister company

FPT Mineral

Terminal.

Minerals are delivered in bulk to

the terminal and then stuffed into

containers before being exported

through the port of Maputo.

There are, however, external

challenges. “The economy is slowing

down and that has a significant

impact on new developments.

Volumes through the port (especially

minerals) have decreased due to the

global commodity market being

at a very low level, and we are also

being affected in the FPT Mineral

Terminal.

“We are currently focusing on

attracting high-value commodities

that are shipped in containers,” he

says.

In a third major investment MCT

has moved its customs services to the

new Ressano Garcia terminal on the

Mozambican side near Komatipoort.

It is a partner in Gestao de

Terminais (GT),

which is the new

customs clearance

facility between

South Africa and

Mozambique.

GT is also

known as

Kilometre four

(KM4).

Over R100m

has been invested

in the three

entities, according to Ferreira.

Looking ahead, Ferreira says “the

biggest challenge, and at the same

time the biggest opportunity, is to

put empty land to good use.

“With the customs-related

business moving away, MCT has

ample space for new developments.

It has a plot of just more than four

hectares right on the N4, and only

eight kilometres from the port.

“We are considering various

options”

INSERT & CAPTION 

We now offer the

most fully integrated

warehouse facility in

Matola.

– Dawie Ferreira

CAPTION

MCT Terminal (89) ... the new FPT Mineral Terminal in Matola.