Noticeable improvements in roads and borders - transporter

Ongoing development in Angola is facilitating the easier movement of goods to the country. Hugo Louw of Louw Transport, a Johannesburgbased company that specialises in the movement of cargo to Angola, says the development in the past five years has been phenomenal. “If I compare the road infrastructure on the main road to Luanda now to what it looked like five years ago, it’s hard to believe it’s the same road. Only about 150km still has to be tarred on this specific road, while the rest of the road is being maintained and fixed.” With disintegrating dust roads taking their toll on trucks, it is now a pleasure to drive to Luanda, says Louw. “Of course the country still has a lot of work to do but the improvements are noticeable. There is commitment from the government and the people to develop the country and they are motivated to achieve their goal.” According to Louw, the facilities for transporters at the Santa Clara border post have also undergone a major overhaul. “The average waiting time for clearance was usually a few weeks with drivers having to live in their trucks with no facilities. Since then an old airfield has been converted and they have erected ablution and water facilities.” And the clearance time has drastically improved. According to Louw it now takes less than a week to clear through the border post compared to the three-week wait of five years ago. “The biggest challenge is still the infrastructure in the towns itself as the effects of the civil war are still very evident. But they are working towards changing this as water pipes are going down, dams are being built, roads restored and communication installed.” He says an average of 200- 300 trucks deliver to Angola on a monthly basis from South Africa. “They need everything from potatoes to cement. The volumes did slump in the recession and we have seen some quiet months, but there is always something being taken to the country. The only thing they don’t need is fuel.”