Mining machinery into Zambia doubles - transporter

As new construction projects and new mining ventures pump up trade into southern Africa, Semwat Transport is upbeat about continued growth. “The mining sector has done very well,” said Semwat’s Hashim Ismail. “Compared to last year, we have almost doubled our deliveries of mining machinery – excavators, wheel loaders and the like – into Zambia alone,” he told FTW. “With the development of the new power station south east of Zambia, a lot of construction materials are being bought and shipped via South Africa into Zambia.” There’s also been plenty of activity in Mozambique, says Ismail. “While projects in Tete have slowed down over the past two years, the focus has moved to Palma in northern Mozambique. “Because of the latest gas findings there, construction materials as well as mining equipment are being sourced and moved up from South Africa. There are also a few housing developments happening in various towns in Mozambique – and once again all the construction materials are manufactured and freighted from South Africa.” Mozambique has also started exporting a number of products – cotton seed for example – to South Africa, which is encouraging for the GDP of Mozambique, he added. But operating into Africa is not without its challenges – and costs are not the least of these. “The whole region has seen a substantial increase in the price of abnormal load permits, crossborder permits, road tolls and carbon taxes. And while you would expect that this extra revenue would be invested in road upgrades, this is not the case. In fact the infrastructure is not even being maintained in the regions to which we deliver.”