With overland logistics accounting for around 85% of the cost of moving international cargo to and from Zambia, it makes business sense for shippers to consider different routes in order to cut costs and improve efficiencies, says Mesele Seyuba, director of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Zambia. The country effectively has three ports through which a through bill of lading concept is available – Dar es Salaam, Beira and Durban, with Walvis Bay being a potential fourth, he says. As a shipping line with direct calls on the three eastern seaboard ports, MSC Zambia has constant updates on what is happening in the ports. It is also able to monitor road and rail conditions through its tracking of containers booked on a through bill of lading. This information is shared with forwarders and shippers to help them decide which route will work best at a particular time of the year or when there are delays due to weather, as happened earlier this year in Beira, or strikes such as those in the Port of Durban which had far-reaching repercussions in Zambia and the other hinterland countries. MSC also tracks seasonal changes. “An example is Durban during the Christmas build-up. On paper transit time from the Far East via Durban to Lusaka is 32 days. During the Christmas “silly” season it can go up to 60 days,” he says. Given the current challenges in Durban and Dar es Salaam, Seyuba says the MSC agency in Lusaka is favouring Beira as load or discharge port for most Zambian shipments. The line has introduced the direct Sofala Express Service, which saves four days from and to the Far East and Beira, bypassing Durban and transhipping at Port Louis, Mauritius. “There are also excellent overland transit times between Beira and Zambia,” he told FTW. Seyuba is also encouraging regular bulk volume clients to make greater use of rail, to take advantage of improving service levels. “There is a perception that rail is more expensive. In fact, it is often not if you take all the transit costs into account for the alternative mode,” he says. Rail is legally allowed to carry heavier containers than road, and it is safer, he says. Seyuba encourages shippers to use containers from start to finish rather than moving to breakbulk in order to maximize payload and save on the weight of the container for road haulage.
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The MSC agency in Lusaka is favouring Beira as load or discharge port for most Zambian shipments. – Mesele Seyuba