Rail and road move major project into Angola

KEVIN MAYHEW EXPERIENCED OPERATOR into Angola, Mondeo Express Freight, has been presented with a major challenge – to move all the building requirements for a major construction by rail and road into southern Angola. Managing director Gavin Toerein says that all the materials will be moved from Johannesburg to Namibia by Spoornet where Trans Namib will take over the hauling and then upload onto trucks for the last leg to the southern Angolan destination. “We traditionally have moved products into Angola by sea, but in this instance it is not really practical and cost-effective, so we will be doing it using road and rail,” he told FTW. He says they anticipate using CX, PX and breakbulk haulage, with a lot depending on what facilities can be established at the receiving end to handle the different types of cargo – which will include anything involved in construction from roof trusses, to bath tiles, taps and kitchen equipment. Mulbarton-based Mondeo specialises in forwarding of exports to Angola and the import of overseas beer and other exotic liquors into South Africa. “The bulk of the products from South Africa into Angola move by sea from either Durban or Cape Town to a number of ports in Angola. There are problems with using seafreight for this particular contract because of a shortage of cargo space, delays at ports, increased rates and the logistics of getting the product from the chosen port to the construction site. This alternative could open up a whole new method for us to feed the lucrative market of southern Angola,” he said.