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.