Telecoms contract generates significant volumes for SDV

As the industry wakes up to
the growing potential of
Mozambique, logistics major
SDV is reaping the benefits of years
of investment in the country.
“We’ve been in Mozambique for
80 years – although not always under
the SDV name – and have built up
our national network year by year,”
regional managing director South
Africa, Philippe Deneve, told FTW.
The company currently has offices
in Beira, Nacala, Maputo, Manica,
Tete and Pemba and will shortly open
another branch in Quelimane.
“With our extensive network
in Mozambique, we offer a
comprehensive service that includes
shipping, forwarding and supply
chain specifically for the mining
industry.
“We are also confident of the
growth of the oil and gas industries
and believe we have the infrastructure
and know-how to service this sector.”
While Deneve welcomes
infrastructure upgrades in the region,
he believes there’s plenty of room
for improvement. “Maputo has
limited capacity and needs to invest.
Extensions to the berth and yard
have been scheduled and this will be
positive for Gauteng shippers,” says
Deneve.
At Beira, the depth of the port is a
problem. “But discussions are under
way to dredge the port. And when
Zimbabwe is back in business, Beira
will be the port of choice.”
While Nacala in the north is the
best port in East Africa in terms of
depth, the problem is the lack of
inland infrastructure. It’s the reason
why goods for Malawi are currently
moving via Beira. But with plans
under way to upgrade road and rail,
the future outlook for the port is
positive.
As coal mining in the Tete region
begins to show signs of growth,
discussions are under way between
the Mozambique and Malawi
governments to build an extension of
the railway line from Tete to Malawi.
How long it will take is an open
question, but the signs are looking
positive, says Deneve.
Aside from Mozambique, the
company’s investments in the rest of
the region are continuing apace.
“We have put forward a provisional
tender to build, manage and
rehabilitate the Port of Sierra Leone.
“We are also growing in Angola
where we have opened our dry port
in Luanda. Because of the slowdown,
container terminals haven’t been
congested in the past few months.
But this is expected to change with
new projects on the go and we are
confident for the year ahead.”
In Kenya the company has built an
extension of its dry port in Mombasa.
The recent signing of a contract
with Chinese telecoms operator
HUAWEI, which supplies equipment
to telecoms operators in 15 countries
in Africa, will generate volumes
of door-to-door business for the
company.
“We are always very optimistic
about Africa. We have been there for
many years and with the opening of a
branch in Egypt we will be present in
42 countries.
“More than 20 years ago SDV’s
strategy was to build a logistics
network that would be ready when
Africa started moving. For us it’s not
new – for many of our competitors it
is, and that makes the difference.”