Maersk Line Mozambique
Reducing the Barriers to TradeWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Cullum For almost three decades, Maersk Line has been a crucial enabler in the development of Mozambique’s maritime industry, serving to grow this emerging nation’s reputation as a key East African logistics hub. Boasting a 2,500 kilometre coastline, the country’s waterways are considered the gateway to Zimbabwe and Malawi; with the Nacala corridor at the centre of Mozambique’s industrial and agricultural exports, the Beira corridor providing a safe passage to Zimbabwe in the west, and the Maputo corridor providing connections with the south.Spurred on by the economic benefits of the country’s location, with excellent transport links to both intercontinental locations, such as the Middle East and Asia, as well as many in Africa, Maersk Line Mozambique has deployed its latest technological advancement, Maersk’s case management system, to further streamline its activities and optimise cargo efficiencies. As innovation now plays a vital role in ensuring the sustainable growth of the billion-dollar Maersk Group, the Company has to continue to focus on ways to remain ahead of the toughening competition by placing emphasis on creating long-term local trade partners.Gateway to the Nacala corridorWith many indigenous businesses now dependent on Mozambique’s maritime industry to reach important export markets, there have been several strategic investments to increase trade opportunities with the Middle East and Asia in recent years.One such investment was announced last year by the Japanese Government, to the tune of US$280 million, designed to fund the second phase of the Nacala Port Development Project and boost the region’s already booming banana trade…
Maersk Namibia
Enhancing Namibian TradeWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Cullum After witnessing substantial evolution in terms of its capacity and trade during the past 20 years, the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia has grown to international notoriety as a growing cargo hub for southern Africa that now handles five million tonnes of cargo per annum. The country therefore represents a vital part of the award-winning Maersk Line Africa operations, as the Company continues to capitalise on inter-regional and international trade opportunities, edging closer towards integration of both its upstream and downstream service offerings.With a presence in Namibia spanning more than 18 years, Maersk Namibia represents one of the largest and most reputable groups operating in the shipping and oil & gas industries today; with the wider Maersk Group reporting profits of $5.2 billion last year. In Namibia, the Company is making concerted efforts to further align itself with the wider Group to consolidate its processes and offer the same seamless service levels throughout its operations. However, the Company faces many economic challenges that have the potential to hinder growth.“I believe one of the biggest challenges we face along with other emerging markets is to start connecting the dots inland and create efficiencies and cost advantages to move business from landlocked locations into and out of the ocean gateways. When looking locally we need to ask ourselves as members of the community how ready are we as a region to facilitate more digitised, automated and standardised processes to facilitate cross-border and inter-regional trade,” Maersk Namibia Managing Director, Robert Maslamoney said in…
Maersk Sierra Leone
Delivering on its Shipping PromiseWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Cullum For almost two decades, Maersk Sierra Leone (SL) has been a crucial part of Maersk Group’s African operations, overseeing the carriage of cargo to and from Sierra Leone. In order to continue aligning its service offering with the high level demands and needs of the country, the Company has focused its recent investments on improving customer experience, while moving towards a standardised use of technology throughout its essential processes to align with the wider Group.Despite the apparent 20 percent contraction in the Sierra Leonean economy in 2015 (according to the World Bank), Maersk SL has registered volume growth above five percent for the past few years, with 10 percent recorded in 2015, due in part to the growth of capital goods and fuel imports into the country.Managing Director (MD), Lee Brough recalls: “This is a far cry from where we were when we first moved into the country; initially managed by a third party agent, Star Marine in 1996 and eventually establishing our own local office here in 2003 in line with the growth of the country’s economy; becoming more accessible to the growing number of customers in the market.”Sierra Leone has limited finished goods production, which makes the country and its industries heavily reliant on the importation of goods. Maersk SL plays a leading role in the provision of international sea transportation of containerised cargo, where it carries at least three out of five containers to and from the country; including cargo ranging from basic foodstuffs and construction…
