Sharing of ‘lessons learnt’ would help reduct logistics costs

If Africa wants to increase intraregional trade it will have to invest in transport infrastructure. According to Lars Greiner, logistics manager for TWP Projects, part of the Basil Read Group, intra-regional trade is crucial for development. “In Africa it has declined significantly from 18% in 2000 to only about 12% at present.” A contributing factor, said Greiner, was “the curse of the container”. “The decline of breakbulk lines and the increase of container vessels has made it very difficult to find regular transport into countries for breakbulk as it is all about handling the container,” he said. “So it is difficult to see growth. With regional communities being the trend it is important that they look at building infrastructure to allow for cargo to be moved across the continent more freely. It will also help to facilitate the projects that are taking place.” He said with many projects located in remote and rural areas the lack of transport was a major obstacle. “Without infrastructure it is going to be very difficult to see ongoing success in this arena.” Marc Schweiger, managing director of FH Bertling Projects, agrees, saying the cost of finding new routes for every project is taking its toll. “Often it involves creating a road where there has not been one before and it can be a costly affair. Also the routes are not necessarily the shortest, but the most logical and safe way to get the cargo to the final destination without damaging it.” Greiner and Schweiger say that more co-operation between cargo owners and their logistics providers can go a long way. “Shippers and project operators speak different languages,” he said. “While most shippers appreciate the lie of the land, they are experts in building and developing and not in transport and logistics.” He said too often each project was reinventing the wheel when shared knowledge could drastically decrease the cost of working in Africa. “Not only do we need more transport infrastructure, but it would go a long way if logistics experts shared the lessons learnt with each other. CAPTION Marc Schweiger ... more co-operation can go a long way.