Poor road links add challenge to Moma Sands project

INVESTMENT IN certain parts of Mozambique has come before the rehabilitation of road links. One of these is the giant Moma S ands project in the central Nampula province. Moma is being developed by London-listed Kenmare Resources.. According to the company, the operation is set to be the world’s third-largest, single-mine titanium-dioxide producer when it ramps up to full production towards the end of the year. Kenmare is also set to become the fifth-largest global titanium-dioxide feedstock producer after Rio Tinto, Iluka, BHP Billiton (through its 50% ownership of Richards Bay Minerals) and Exxaro Resources. Exports are being handled by barge through the “port” of Moma, which consists of little more than a jetty on the beach. And it is here that the challenges started for Karel Meyer of Caravel LDA Mozambique. Moma is an eight to 12-hour ride over extremely poor roads from the city of Nampula. The only alternative is to fly in. Then there was the problem of offices – there are none to be had. This was solved by kitting out a container. Getting the container itself to the site is another story. While the office is only manned when necessary at present, there are plans to make it a full-time operation. The company is already training up Mozambicans to take over the running of the operations – and other offices in the country. “Everyone has a role to play. As a S outh African, I can go to South Africa and fetch the business because I understand the S outh African culture. “But, here, we need Mozambicans who understand the local culture,” he says.