Transnet explores landside connectivity

Facing increasing competition for hinterland cargo from other ports in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Transnet is exploring ways of strengthening the landside and short-sea shipping links of its ports. This is one of the trends that came out of a Transport Forum meeting in Durban. In her forum presentation, Brenda Magqwaka, general manager in the office of Transnet Port Terminals’ (TPT) chief executive, said the parastatal was shifting its focus from port performance to supply chain performance through an integrated network of ports, rail and pipelines. In 2018 PwC warned in a report that landside connections would determine the future of most of the ports in the region. TPT CE Nozipho Sithole said Transnet recognised that, to become one of the top five terminal operators in the world, the logistics company had to integrate its systems with the region and the rest of the world.
An “attractive tariff model” would promote the use of short-sea shipping. Transnet is also looking at establishing port operating partnerships with other African countries. Within South Africa TPT would continue developing
inland rail hub container, bulk and break-bulk consolidation terminals in order to use rail to reduce the cost of moving freight through South Africa, said Sithole. The organisational strategic objective to
“integrate the region with the rest of the world” and the opportunity to grow the organization beyond the relatively flat growth prospects within South Africa are key principles on which the international strategy is built, added TPT
growth and diversification senior manager, Darren Fraser. FTW recently provided an update on port developments in the region, with an emphasis on the hinterland links that are being built to support investment in the SADC region. They include the upgrade of the Maputo leg of the rail link to the Maputo port complex via Ressano Garcia, which will give better rail access for shippers in Gauteng, Zimbabwe and Zambia through the port of Maputo. Road projects include the rehabilitation of the KafueMazabuka road, which forms an essential leg in the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor and the North-South Corridors. This link will become increasingly attractive as the new container terminal in Walvis Bay comes on-stream later in 2019. As the most modern port on the continent, it has the opportunity to attract shipping lines by offering faster turnaround times.