Meat exporters opt for CT port

‘Custom-designed’ cold storage facilities have made Cape Town the port of choice for meat exporters, according to Jon Williams, a director at Swaziland Meat Industries (SMI). “Meat has its own transport needs,” says Williams. “At Cape Town there are cold storage facilities designed for meat which is why Cape Town is used by meat exporters from Botswana and Namibia as well as by us in Swaziland,” he said. “Durban’s cold storage facilities are more geared to fruit,” he added. In terms of sea transport, CT is closer to SMI’s principal export destination, Norway. Some 500 of the 700 tonnes of Swazi beef exported by SMI annually are destined for Norwegian buyers. The better facilities in Cape Town can be credited to Botswana and Namibia’s use of the port for the export of their beef products, with facilities developed specifically for meat. While Namibia and Botswana meat exporters could use Walvis Bay, transportation issues can be more complicated than going directly to Cape Town, he said.