Political stability provides the edge

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT in
Zambia is attainable and viable.
And there are several good
reasons for this, says Kingfisher
Freight Services MD Alwyn Nel.
Compared to its neighbours
in the region, Zambian
development is founded on
greater political stability,
says Nel. It also serves as a
major transit area for the
DRC with huge potential in
mining. Zambia is definitely
increasing both in agricultural
and industrial development, the
latter with a major emphasis
on mining and allied support
services and infrastructure.
Kingfisher specialises
in seafreight, airfreight,
roadfreight, project cargo,
hazardous chemical
movements and abnormal
project movements – imports
and exports. Specific to
Zambia, they still consider the
best freight options to be air
and road. The company even
offers a dedicated express
road service for cargo ranging
from a few hundred kilograms
to six or seven tons, using a
dedicated vehicle and driver
who carries no other load to
facilitate speedy deliveries
on the round trip to and
from Zambia.
The company serves as
a facilitator for its overseas
network to deliver cargo from
across the globe to Zambia
and also to the south-east
DRC through Zambia. “We
have global infrastructure to
ship from all ports globally,”
says Nel. “Most of the cargo
comes in through the Durban
port with some through Cape
Town, although Dar es Salaam
is a viable option; in terms of
logistics South African ports are
the better option for us.”
As always the major
challenges in Zambia include
communications, delays in
capital financing and payments
of duties and taxes on arrival
at border crossings. But, all in
all, the future outlook is good
for Zambia, in his view.