Damco has been operating in Mozambique for the past one and a half years from the existing office in Beira, supporting the land-locked countries of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
"Beira is mainly serviced through feeder vessels via Durban (draft restrictions prevents larger vessels from calling Beira) and this generally implies longer transit times. We made a conscious decision to improve on this, ensuring that customers can both source and export directly through Maputo. This increases the options, especially for mining companies by offering inland transport solutions and stuffing services in Maputo. The port has recently experienced an increasing number of shipping lines offering direct calls from the Far East, making it a great time for this expansion," says Christian Roeder, Damco Mozambique Country Manager.
Damco is now able to offer the Maputo corridor which serves parts of South Africa, such as Mpumalanga, Gauteng (Johannesburg), and Limpopo Province, giving direct access to one of the most highly industrialized regions in Sub-Saharan Africa. As well as this, Maputo is also a cost-effective alternative to Durban and Beira for parts of the land-locked countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Swaziland. Damco aims to become the preferred logistics provider to customers in the region, specializing in inland solutions and then expanding into other areas.
Damco has great expectations for this corridor, and expects volumes through Mozambique to grow by 20% next year.
"By opening up Damco operations in Maputo, we will be able to offer a superior service to those countries around Southern Mozambique as well as within the capital city itself. We expect this to benefit both existing and potential customers in the region, and re-affirms Damco's commitment to Africa," states Nils Havsager, head of Damco in Africa. Damco is the new, combined brand of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group's logistics activities.
