Ndola in the Zambian Copperbelt will soon have a brand new container hub following renovations and upgrades at VS Cargo. Chief executive officer Alessandro Valenza believes her new container hub – which represents an investment of some R6 million – not only adds value to Ndola, but also enhances the town’s strategic position in the Copperbelt. “The decision to build a container depot is based on my philosophy of doing what we know best and subcontracting the rest to experts. We have one of the biggest and best facilities in the Copperbelt and this container hub is going to add value to that,” says Valenza. With containers already arriving, the company has invested heavily in container handlers and other necessary equipment. “Having the ability to load containers here at our depot before moving them to Durban will not just help with the congestion, but also restore the faith in Africa that they can do it as well as the rest of the world.” Also in the process of installing an 80-ton weighbridge on her premises, Valenza says much of the improvements are about not being reliant on others. “We started on this project last year and have done some major refurbishments. We built a lifting facility and have improved our depot. With three warehouses all serviced by rail, two of which are bonded, we are one of the only warehouses with a rail line inside a warehouse in Ndola. It is all about adding extra value and being able to do business without too much reliance on other people.” Able to handle up to 300 containers, Valenza says enquiries for the new container depot are pouring in. “We have been extremely busy and have not really seen a major difference to last year. We specialise in the DRC and Ndola. Our strategic location and facilities mean that we can now serve the mines even better.”
