Southern Africa is witnessing a significant uptick in project cargo volumes, driven primarily by the burgeoning demand for renewable energy, particularly wind and solar power. As countries across the region intensify their efforts to embrace cleaner energy sources, the logistics sector is feeling the impact, with an inf lux of heavy and oversized cargo moving through ports and transport networks.Kevin Melnick, managing director at Pentagon Freight, said there had been a big push in South Africa for renewables and this was now being extended across borders with projects across southern Africa.“Wind and solar power projects, in particular, have been leading the charge. All the projects, however, are on shore. We need to see more of these wind turbine projects going up offshore,” he told Freight News, highlighting that logistics experts locally had become extremely adept at moving the massive wind turbines, blades and other critical components to wind farm sites, often in remote areas of the country. “Solar panel equipment freight volumes have increased exponentially as South Africa embraces renewable energies in business and domestic use.”Melnick said he was particularly upbeat about developments in Namibia, Mozambique and Angola where ongoing investment in oil and gas was driving the movement of heavy out-of-gauge cargo. “Despite the shift towards renewables, the oil and gas sector remains a significant player in the reg ion's economy. New developments and expansions in this sector require the transportation of oversized equipment and ma chiner y, ensuring that traditional energy projects also maintain their share of logistical demands,” he said.This dual dynamic – rising renewable energy projects alongside sustained oil and gas investments – was creating a robust environment for the project cargo sector. “We are already witnessing an uptick in volumes, with expectations for continued growth in project cargo volumes moving forward.”He said companies like Pentagon specialised in meeting the unique demands of the project sector, particularly in energy. This included ongoing investment in resources. “We have maintained a presence and a dominance in the fields we excel in, as we specialise in those markets and are able to deliver the bespoke solutions our clients require in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa via our TLC strategic alliance agreement on the continent and key OGE countries.”
