WASHINGTON: Maritime experts from across Africa are meeting at the 5th African Ports Evolution meeting in Durban. The two-day summit brings together port operators, policy makers and shipping agents to unpack the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s ports. Chair of the Ports Regulator of South Africa, Thaba Mufamadi says ports are gateways of opportunity for trade and investment:
“Domestic inflation, tight construction market, fluctuations in oil prices. Inadequate competition amongst construction companies that leads sometime to collusion. Power and energy constraints. However dire this may be it has ironically catapulted the gateway debate towards the creation of other ports of entry into the continent. Brazil prefers access to the African continent and its investment opportunities through its direct link with Luanda whilst China prefers to deal directly with African states through Beijng.” Some of the key issues under the spotlight will be how ports can use technology to drive efficiency and productivity through smart port systems and how to enhance inter-connectivity between ports and road and rail.
African Business Central- an online business magazine- last year listed Port Said in Egypt as the busiest port in Africa with a capacity of 2.9 million TEU in 2013. TEU is the twenty-foot equivalent unit used to describe the capacity of container terminals. The Port of Durban ranked in second place with a capacity of 2.6 TEU, with Port Tangier in Morocco as the third busiest African port with a capacity of 2.5 million TEU.
This meeting of port experts is unpacking how to better manage the continent’s ports. From infrastructure investment to getting cargo out the port and onto road and rail smoother, among other concerns. Mufamadi says that to realise the potential of the continent as a catalyst for growth and development hard investments- like better roads- and soft investments – like up-skilling maritime personnel are required.
CEO of Transnet Port Terminals, Karl Sockiwa lamented the current state of affairs in this regard. He puts intra-Africa trade at just 11%, the lowest globally. Intra-continental trade in Asia is improved at 25% and a whopping 60% in Europe. Sockiwa says Africa needs to realise its own potential in doing business within the continent, than being so dependent on other countries for economic growth.
