Maputo firm launches bi-weekly rail service to Harare
TINASHE MAKICHI
Leading logistics solutions provider, DP World Maputo, last week launched a dedicated bi-weekly container train service connecting Maputo and Harare, a move which will slash transport costs as well as providing a seamless and efficient container transit between the two neighbouring countries, Business Times can report.
Christian Roeder, DP World Maputo CEO said the company will soon make the train service from the Mozambique port weekly.
This means that once shipment arrives at DP World Maputo port, the firm handles the entire supply chain process from there to Harare.
“This rail service between Maputo and Harare is key to reopening the route between these markets to drive more efficient logistics in the region. Through this service, which will facilitate and handle all port and border documentation, we can cut down transit times, give our customers better service and improve the connections between cities,” Roeder said.
The new service, Roeder said, is part of the company’s plans to expand its logistics and supply chain offering in the region. He said the Maputo-Harare service was key to its vision to connect several countries in Southern Africa by rail.
The development presents a number of new business opportunities for customers in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Not only will this help enhance DP World Maputo’s position as a gateway to Zimbabwe, the service offers significantly better transit times for customers in Zimbabwe.
In the past, transit goods on their way to Harare would often be transported by road, which was very expensive.
The bi-weekly rail service will reduce logistics costs and provide reliable and efficient transportation of goods to Harare and Maputo, experts say.
The Maputo-Harare rail service comes after DP World Komatipoort in South Africa last month handled its first transit import from Maputo.
It means that DP World International container imports land in Maputo port and destined for the South African hinterland can now be moved under bond to Komatipoort, where full customs clearance can be provided and made ready for delivery across South Africa.
DP World said it will continue to develop the Maputo Corridor, a vital trade route in Southern Africa, through investing in new infrastructure to meet local demand, while DP World Maputo’s container terminal capacity will also be enhanced, having already doubled in size between 2016 and 2018.
The company is a unit of Dubai-based DP World.
