Breakbulk's first Africa conference discusses challenges, opportunities in moving breakbuld & heavy-lift cargo in & out of Africa.
South Africa's national transport company is planning infrastructure improvements that will move cargo from highways to rail, the chief executive of Transnet recently told 300 attendees at the first Breakbulk Africa Congress held on the African continent.
Transnet CEO Brian Molefe said the investment of R300 billion into capital infrastructure projects through 2019 will decrease transportation prices in a country where moving cargo costs more than five times what logistics providers pay in Europe and the U.S.
Molefe's plans for Transnet were part of two days of panels in which transportation and logistics experts discussed the myriad challenges and opportunities found in moving breakbulk and heavy-lift cargo in and out of Africa.
Attendees from more than 35 countries listened to descriptions of developing capital projects in East Africa, port productivity issues in West Africa, updates on the piracy threat to commercial shipping, and the increasing number of compliance regulations.
Sobantu Tilayi, chief operations officer at the South African Marine Safety Association, outlined SAMSA's plans to rejuvenate South Africa's ship registry, and a panel of transportation experts discussed the reasons for the dearth of coastal shipping in Africa.
The Breakbulk Africa Congress was sponsored by Kuehne & Nagel, Breadbox Shipping, Precision Specialized, Port of New Orleans, UTi, CMA-CGM, Heestership/ Copenship, Universal Africa Line, Cordstrap, Canada States Africa Line, Lanisource Project Logistics, Fairseas International, Darka Sudan & Fast Global Logistics.