An investment in two new bonded facilities inside the Port of Beira demonstrates RBG Africa Logistics’ (RBG) commitment in Mozambique and in particular to the Beira Corridor.According to Hugo Paraskeva, executive board member, RBG has had a presence in Mozambique for several years now following the acquisition of the Beira-based company. “Our operations have predominantly been in Beira where we have taken the time to understand the market trends and develop our business strategy.”Speaking to Freight News Paraskeva said the company had experienced compound growth over the past few years and expanding its footprint and offering their client base additional logistics solutions had become a priority. With head office in Beira, and commercial offices in Maputo and Harare in Zimbabwe, the timing was opportune to expand the portfolio, he added. This led to the establishment of a new business unit – Moçambique Terminal de Minerais Limitada – earlier this year.“Moçambique Terminal de Minerais offers additional bulk handling solutions. It came into operation in June this year and handled 20 000 tons of minerals after the initial three months.”He said the additional capacity created on the Beira Corridor had been welcomed by the market and projections were that volumes were set to grow steadily.“The investment is located inside the Port of Beira where the intention is to develop five hectares of land and link the facility via road and rail into the hinterland. The ambition in the short to medium term is to efficiently transport minerals from the hinterland into the port by rail.”Paraskeva said that rail remained the most cost-efficient way of transporting bulk minerals, and while the preference was for road transport, it remained an important strategy to develop reliable rail solutions.“That is why our investment has included a rail siding. We have also installed state-of-the-art software and technology on the ground. This allows our clients visibility of their cargo at any point from anywhere in the world.”According to Paraskeva, visibility, reliability and efficiency are key drivers for logistics operators. “Price is no longer a negotiating factor. Clients know what they are willing to pay to move their cargo between two points. There are a handful of players in the market and the rates are very much benchmarked. As service providers, we need to offer excellence and that is what we are going for.”Paraskeva reiterated that Moçambique Terminal de Minerais was going from strength to strength.“We are currently developing phase 2 of Moçambique Terminal de Minerais and constructing the second bonded facility – also inside the port – to up our capacity and services even further. This additional investment will consist of 6 000 square metres of bulk warehouse, connecting the facility with the rail siding. The facility is being kitted out with the latest technology, systems and equipment and we aim to start operations in January 2023,” said Paraskeva.“Having identified the opportunities, we have entered the market with a positive mindset. We are confident that our value proposition is a differentiator and that we will continue to draw additional volumes to the corridor while ensuring efficiency and reliability.”
