MIPS targets 100 000 teus a year

CONTAINER VOLUMES through Maputo
are growing rapidly from 62 500 teus
a year “at best” to the present capacity
of 100 000 teus a year, according to
MIPS Container Terminal new business
development manager Jan Bekker.
The terminal is already well on
its way to reaching the target – it is
expected to handle over 72 000 teus
this financial year.
Greater volumes have attracted new
services, with MOL offering a direct
service to the Far East. “This was a
missing link. With an average of three
vessels a month, the service has so
much potential to grow,” he says.
There have also been trial services
from Maputo to Asia by Delmas.
Now the focus is on inbound traffic.
Bekker says the biggest opportunity for
growth lies in imports through Maputo.
This traffic is growing as importers
realise that the port of Maputo is now
fully functional and is served by efficient
road and rail links to South Africa and
other neighbouring states.
MIPS sees Mpumalanga, Limpopo,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Gauteng
and as far up as Malawi and the
Democratic Republic of Congo as its
target markets.
“We are the natural port for much
of the Southern African hinterland
and could serve as a good distribution
centre for these areas,” he says.
One of the biggest challenges is
changing attitudes. “South African
importers and exporters are still
concerned about working through
Mozambique as there is a border to
cross.”
Another challenge is the
misconception that Maputo offers
limited services. “We connect to
weekly named-day services from
anywhere in the world,” he says.
Transhipments through Durban
are handled efficiently. “In Durban,
the land-side congestion is more
of a problem. There is not as much
congestion on the sea side,” he says.
Bekker stresses that Maputo is not in competition
with its bigger neighbours down south. “We are not
here to compete with D urban. We see ourselves
as a complementary service which handles excess
container volumes.”
In addition, Maputo is closer to a number of
key markets than D urban – offering a more costeffective
service.