Nacala call creates another Zambian gateway

A weekly feeder service by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) between Nacala and Durban out of Antwerp and Rotterdam has made it possible for MSC Zambia to promote the northern Mozambican port as another gateway for imports and exports into Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), says MSC Zambia country director Mesele Seyuba. This new route is a result of investment into the deep-water port of Nacala, which is linked to Zambia by rail, making it a viable option for importers and exporters, says Seyuba. The railway line from Zambia to Nacala was commissioned in May 2014 after the project to connect the line from Muchinji to Chipata had been dormant for nearly 30 years. Trial runs have been completed successfully on the 1050-km route, which runs from Zambia’s Chipata district to Nacala through Malawi. Transit takes approximately four days. MSC partners with road hauliers and rail operators to provide landside logistics to support their seafreight services. Having a shipping line providing a full through bill of lading transport service to all of the main ports serving Zambia and the DRC has a number of advantages for shippers, he believes. “The benefit of using the rail corridor is that it reduces border delays and associated administration constraints, owing to the efforts by the rail operator to create synergies with all relevant stakeholders in the supply chain,” says Seyuba. In addition, it adds much-needed flexibility for shippers – which is important when operating in a landlocked country like Zambia. “MSC Zambia is unique in its operations in that we are a shipping company in a country without a port. This presents obvious challenges with respect to minimising import and export costs to clients, but at the same time it presents opportunities for innovative ways of trying to move cargo to/from ports in the most costeffective way,” he says. INSERT & CAPTION The benefit of using the rail corridor is that it reduces border delays and associated administration constraints. – Mesele Seyuba