February 2021 Mining & Minerals 23GRAPHITE 2526FTW7875MSC Logistics (Pty) LtdA subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping CompanyMSC House - 3rd Floor, 54 Dr Langalibalele Dube Street (Winder Street), Durban, 4001P.O. Box 10614, Marine Parade, 4056, South Afr

Demand for raw materials is on the increase on all fronts, especially in Africa – home to some of the most sought-after commodities in the world.This brought large-scale opportunity to the logistics sector, said Fritz Kaufmann of Transworld Cargo. The company plans to set up an LCL service from Walvis Bay in Namibia to Lusaka in Zambia as part of its ongoing efforts to improve efficiency and service delivery to the mining sector.Speaking to Freight News, Kaufmann said mining was a demanding sector that required its service providers to be ahead of the game.“In mining, time is money, and that fact cannot be disputed,” he said. “The opportunities in this are to have a seamless operation without holdups. Thinking ahead with every load and expecting any challenge is the way to go. If one does not have that attitude, I don’t think it is possible to add value in an operation like this.”He said the goal with the new LCL service was exactly that – to improve delivery to the mining industry. “This is an additional service to the current full loads that are moving north on the Trans-Caprivi Corridor to Zambia. The objective is to cut the transit time to the final destination, and supply cargo and be able to get cargo to the client as quickly as possible.”He said in mining the trend remained the same – to squeeze the lemon and extract every last drop.“Every cent is squeezed out of the mineral product, from the actual mining and processing throughout the logistics supply chain to delivery to the end user,” said Kaufmann. “As ore prices change in markets it affects the chain of events continuously. It is therefore important that we are innovative and able to think out of the box.”Commenting on the challenges, he said cross-border transportation by road remained problematic.“Border procedures as well as holdups and other delays can be challenging. Turning trucks around and having to wait for backloads cuts into profitability – and this can have severe consequences due to the narrow margins we operate in and there literally being no room for error.”Kaufmann said volume increases or decreases continued to be dictated by supply and demand. “As a transporter or logistics partner one needs to go through these ups and downs with the client. The ability to upscale or downscale operations is therefore critical to success in this industry.”He said the vision was to increase handling capacity within the company. “It is a process that is already well on its way and the acquisition of new handling equipment has been completed. We continue to streamline our processes and capabilities to handle volumes well.”