New Manica terminal for Harare

Manica Zimbabwe is consolidating its Harare operations in a new multimodal terminal which is fully integrated into the Manica Africa network. The new terminal will have the same lifting equipment and systems as other Manica terminals across the sub-continent in order to offer a common standard of service, and to help exporters and importers manage their risks, according to Albert Kamhunga, managing director of Manica Zimbabwe. Dealing with a single operator that works within its own network helps reduce the logistical risks of doing business in Zimbabwe and neighbouring states, he says. Manica offers preclearance and pre-payment of border costs and trucking insurance through all the major border posts to ensure a quicker turnaround of customer documents and reduction of truck dwell time. Manica Zimbabwe – which is part of the Bidvest group – has its head office in Harare, and offices at all the major border posts – Beitbridge, Chirundu, Nyamapanda and Forbes, as well as in the major cities of Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare. The company operates container parks in Bulawayo and Harare. They are both fully equipped inland ports, with 30-ton gantry cranes and forklifts. It also has 30 000m² of warehousing in Harare, which means that it has been able to handle major logistical projects for aid organisations, mines, and the tobacco industry. They offer storage and handling of full and empty containers, in-bond storage, de-stuffing and final delivery of containers to customer’s door. And that includes any destination within Zimbabwe using Manica’s own fleet of vehicles. The customer incurs no further depot storage costs once the delivery order is submitted to Manica, says Kamhunga. For exports, Manica offers container packing and transport to the customer’s port or destination of choice. Manica road and rail freight services include full truck loads, abnormal loads, and consol services. As part of the Manica Africa group, Manica Zimbabwe partners with international logistics and shipping companies Genesis and Panalpina, which have offices on all six continents. An office has also been opened in Beira for the growing volumes of Zimbabwe imports and exports being handled by the port. Manica Zimbabwe also provides worldwide, doorto- door service for all types of air freight cargo. It is the only registered freight company with offices located within the Cargo Village at Harare International Airport. The company holds the sole agency for South African Airways Cargo (SAA Cargo) through its subsidiary Air Freight Services (AFS), located in the same premises. Manica has also established a transit facility four kilometres from the Beitbridge border post inside Zimbabwe to handle vehicle imports and transit through Zimbabwe. The car carriers “go straight through” customs at the border, and are escorted to the transit facility, where the vehicles are processed. This has helped ease congestion at the border post and speed up the importation and transit of vehicle imports, says Kamhunga.