There’s been an upsurge of cargo volumes into Zambia and the Copperbelt region, leading to an increased demand for consolidation services, as businesses and industries seek efficient ways to manage the importation of cargo.According to Natasha Lawrence–Ramiah, SACO CFR ocean and road freight branch manager in Johannesburg, volumes into Lusaka have been on a positive upward trajectory for some time. “This has seen us increase our consolidated service offerings from once a week to twice weekly to keep up with demand,” she told Freight News.A combination of factors is driving the growing demand, including increased mining activities, growing foreign investment, and expanding trade partnerships, in her view. Zambia serves as a gateway for certain landlocked countries in the region, providing a crucial link to international markets through its well-connected road and rail networks. This geographic advantage, coupled with proactive measures to improve trade infrastructure, has facilitated the steady f low of goods into the country.As cargo volumes continue to rise, businesses are recognising the need for streamlined logistics solutions to handle the increased imports efficiently. This has led to a demand for consolidation services both north- and southbound.Lawrence–Ramiah said opportunities for logistics service providers were on the increase in light of ongoing infrastructure investment. “This remains a focus point for Zambia – and in terms of construction of new facilities to support various industries in the countries, we are seeing a host of new opportunities. The overall number of projects in the country is increasing.”Moving cargo, however, remains challenging at times as road infrastructure, particularly for freight, poses obstacles. Traffic congestion and delays are common occurrences in the country, increasing transit times. “Given the mining and brewery operations currently active in Zambia, the need for cargo to move efficiently from point A to point Z to avoid line stoppages and a backlog in production is more prevalent than ever,” said Lawrence–Ramiah, welcoming the move to deploy joint forces from South Africa and the DRC at the Kasumbalesa border post to address some of the challenges. “This is the main entry point into the DRC from Zambia and a primary point of entry for trucks from South Africa. It is critical that this border post operates at optimal ef f icienc y.”
