Swazi Railway records upswing in container traffic

IT’S A world of balanced harmony at Swaziland Railway, where the curtailment of one type of shipment has been matched this year by a rise in other shipments. Bulk, raw sugar has been lost, and won’t come back, as Swaziland’s sugar refineries switch to other production. Meanwhile, an upswing in containerised traffic has kept the wheels rolling. “The sugar companies are still big customers, but raw sugar shipments are down. Raw sugar goes to European Union and North American markets. The companies are producing more refined sugar for sale locally,” said Stephenson Ngubane, director of operations and marketing at the 43 yearold firm headquartered in Mbabane. Ngubane said the rail system was not designed for inland deliveries, but for transport to seaports, at present Durban and Maputo. Containers, particularly imports, are coming in from the ports at a greater clip, using rail. “For general exports also we are seeing a road to rail shift in containerised traffic. The shift is driven by pricing and service,” said Ngubane. Swaziland’s agriculturebased economy means that shipping firms are also affected by farming conditions. Swaziland is an importer of grain, and shipments by rail are expected to rise due to this year’s drought, which wiped out 80% of local crops. Four out of 10 Swazis will depend on imported food aid to survive through the next harvest. Swaziland Railway CEO Gideon Mahlalela told FTW that “serious locomotive problems from Spoornet on conveying transit traffic” have affected the company’s bottom line this year.