Africa Ports Need to Uncork Bottlenecks
African countries need to adopt a service-orientated approach to their port systems in order to improve breakbulk handling, agreed panelists discussing the continent’s shipping challenges at Breakbulk Africa in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Concern was raised about the ideology behind many African port operations. Many see it as a mere function, rather than an important production line that has an impact on the growth of the country. As such, cargo operators are left frustrated by differing regulations, long clearance waiting periods, inadequate cargo handling equipment and insufficient storage capacity.
As the need for infrastructure to fuel Africa’s growth increases, the panel recommended that governments and private enterprises create a platform to investigate ways to streamline port operations and efficiencies.
Among the possible solutions discussed was the option of cabotage, or coastal shipping, a system that is paying dividends in Nigeria. Cabotage has helped encourage local participation in the country, thereby creating a more stable environment in the ports.
Pre-clearance, a stronger focus on security, streamlined processes and the creation of corridors and reliable ancillary services (road and rail) into the hinterland were also suggested as ways to ensure smoother operations in breakbulk cargo handling.
Participants in the session were Ralf Franke, general manager PROM Southern Africa, Kuehne+Nagel (Pty) Ltd., moderator; Oritsematosan Edodo-Emore, managing partner, Edodo, Thorpe & Associates; Napo Ramodibedi, CEO, Mendi Maritime; James Lewer, line manager, SAFWAF MPV; and Gerald Hagemann, director, business development, Meihuizen International, as agents for Angola South.
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