Warehouse with rail siding helps cut costs

Continuing uncertainty in
world markets has put even
greater focus on the total cost
of transport, says Ruud Walgaard,
managing director of African
Cargo Services Limited in Ndola.
The company has opened its own
warehouse facility with rail siding
in Ndola.
ACS is also making use of ports
other than Durban, such as Dar es
Salaam, Beira and Walvis Bay. “We
have been using Walvis Bay for
some time, and even move metals
to China through the port,” he says.
A good part of the cargo to Dar
es Salaam in particular is now
being moved by rail as there is
not sufficient trucking capacity,
adds Walgaard. “It takes less
than 14 days to Dar es Salaam
by rail, compared to seven to ten
by road – but without the risks of
truck hijackings, which hae been a
problem in the past six months” he
says.
The company is also building
on its experience of providing a
“door-to-door” import and export
logistics service to the mining
and metal trading sectors by
moving into general cargo through
the acquisition of the Ndola
warehouse.
Situated in the heart of the Ndola
industrial area, the new warehouse
offers 1 100m2 under roof storage,
as well as a 2 000m2 concreted
yard. It is surrounded by a sixfoot
electrified fence and is under
constant CCTV surveillance, with
armed guards adding to the security.
The railway siding caters for
eight wagons at a time, and there
are also ramps to provide access
for the stuffing and de-stuffing of
containers.
“Our facility is suitable for
the handling of all cargo types,
including hazardous cargo if
required,” he says.
Most of the mining exports are
handled directly from the mine by
staff of African Cargo Services
which has its own offices on the
mines, he says.