The impact of Covid-19 has been evident across southern Africa’s borders, with import volumes in particular trending down.Stephen Masters, over-border manager for MSC Logistics, told Freight News that volumes of finished and commercial goods had suffered the most severe blow. “We also saw import regulations being tightened during the lockdowns which impacted volumes of second-hand cars.”While import volumes are lower, Masters believes there is still potential for higher volumes of export mining and agricultural commodities to be routed via South Africa as markets recover.“Also, due to rail service issues, road haulage has increased to retain cargo delivery service levels and schedules. Congestion in Bloemfontein en-route to Lesotho is one example where road haul became a very good option.”Masters said problems had also been experienced with rail linkages in Botswana where service was often slow and congestion was a problem, again placing the focus on road haul options. “Rail service problems due to continuous cable theft and lack of space on non-dedicated lines remains a challenge.” He said despite the challenges brought on by Covid-19, the overall outlook for cross-border operations remained quite optimistic. “We are exploring services and opportunities on the Walvis Bay corridor in particular, as well as the option of a unit train from South Africa to Zambia and the DRC. Furthermore, we have applied for our warehouse in Johannesburg to be a bonded facility to allow us to handle over-border commodities.”According to Masters, there is potential to reroute Zambia and DRC commodities via South Africa. “These commodities would be packed and shipped from South Africa. We continue to see Durban as an integral part of servicing the cross-border sector with it remaining the gateway into southern Africa.”We are exploring the option of a unit train from South Africa to Zambia and the DRC.– Stephen Masters“
