Meeting the demand for warehouse space in Maputo

Matola Cargo

Terminal (MCT)

is reconfiguring

and expanding its

warehouse space to meet growing

demand in Maputo.

Existing warehouses are being

“opened up and refurbished” to

accommodate modern stacking and

storage systems, says administrative

and finance manager Carlos

Proenca.

This is just one of the ways that

MCT has adapted to the changing

needs of the market over the past

20 years since it was established

primarily as a customs clearing area

for cargo transported by truck from

South Africa, he says.

“Now that customs clearing

has moved to Km4 we are able to

reorganise and reinvent ourselves,”

he says.

Large multinationals are among

the long-term clients because of the

strict governance that is part of the

MCT culture.

“Everything is done by the book.

Multinationals do not want to be

caught up in any funny business,”

he says.

The terminal has the flexibility to

adapt to meet the logistics needs of

a wide range of clients, he says.

“We have been reinventing

ourselves for 20 years,” says

Proenca, pointing to a framed

record of the first oranges handled

by the facility when it opened.

Market forces switched orange

exports from breakbulk to

containers, which then led to MCT

converting the citrus cooling and

storage chambers into refrigerated

chambers for tobacco.

A large slab laid down for the

transfer of bulk minerals into

containers has also been repurposed

for project cargo.

As part of its logistics services

MCT has invested in a fleet of

25 trucks, some of which are

refrigerated.

They carry fresh produce from

South Africa and farmers around

Maputo to the northern parts of

the country for a large supermarket

chain.

“There is a market of 20 million

people in the north and we help our

clients to meet their needs for food

and fast moving consumer goods,”

he says.

There is also a container

handling and storage facility in the

terminal.

Containers are destuffed and

packed on site.

CAPTION

The minerals terminal at Beira Logistics Terminal has been repurposed to

handle pipes for a water project.