Containers transferred to off-site depot
West Africa has achieved
the fastest regional
growth in container
traffic since the mid-
1990s, with average annual growth
rates ranging from 7.2% to 13.8%.
Although this traffic accounts
for less than 1% of the total world
traffic, most of the region’s ports are
faced with infrastructure challenges.
Governments face obstacles in
accessing funds to finance port
infrastructure development and
it has become crucial for logistics
service providers to find innovative
and out-of-the-box solutions for
exporters shipping to this market,
says Olivier Vanreusel, managing
director of COMEXAS South Africa.
According to Vanreusel, the extent
of the African landscape is of such a
nature that it requires very specific
regional approaches.
“COMEXAS group has been
serving Africa since 1949 and we
are currently focusing all our efforts
on the trade lanes between South
Africa, Far East and Europe going
to West Africa,” he says. “Very often
exporters stay away from doing
business in the region because
of the business risks. Yet it is a
booming market showing real
growth and opportunity.”
One solution to the specific
challenges faced in West Africa
is an NVOCC service focusing on
the region called CAL, of which
COMEXAS South Africa are
agents. According to Sarah Heale,
sales manager of CAL, they offer a
service that no other NVOCC has
been offering. “CAL goes further
than a traditional port-to-port
freight solution as we automatically
transfer all containers at
destination to an offsite depot,” she
says.
“You cannot take old concepts
to Africa – they will not work.
By developing this new solution
where we not only carry but also
do the internal movements of the
cargo we have been able create a
more fluid and efficient system,”
she says. “This is a unique concept
that benefits all parties concerned.
The port avoids further congestion
and the customer gets the benefit
of cargo not being held up. Our
South African exporters and freight
forwarders feel that we protect their
cargo as we work with first class
terminals who offer guaranteed
space and available plug-ins. This is
a critical advantage, especially for
fruit growers who have been facing
quality issues due to the inconsistent
power supply in the ports.”
She said plans were currently in
place to roll out the solution to other
West African countries that CAL
serviced such as Nigeria and the
Ivory Coast.
CAPTION
Sarah Heale, sales manager of CAL,
and Olivier Vanreusel, managing
director of COMEXAS South Africa.
