Page 4 - LUA November - December 2023 for Magzter

COVER STORY

PORTS &

TERMINALS

TURN

SMART

TO POWER

AFRICAN

TRADE has been dominated by the ports of the
West African Coast, including the Gulf
of Guinea, which have undergone an
unprecedented phase of development to
Seaports and terminals are playing catch-up when it modernise their docks and thus be able to
comes to developing insight driven solutions based on accommodate large vessels.
Ports are fundamental to the
latest technology. However, increasing privatisation of global economy, transferring up to 90
ports and terminals in Africa is opening up opportunities percent of the world's goods. Most are
for these key infrastructure assets to be smart and digital seeking operational efficiency and de-
thereby facilitating increasing trading opportunities for the carbonisation, yet mastering rapid, large-
scale modernization remains a challenge.
continent’s small and medium scale enterprises. While Africa is famed for exporting its
rich minerals across the world, population
fter 20 years of trying, the South develop and upgrade Transnet’s biggest growth and rising per capita incomes also
African government, earlier container terminal, handling 72 per cent make Africa a potential for imports.
this year, has taken its first step of the Port of Durban’s throughput and 46 Africa is often seen as an export-
Atowards port privatisation, a per cent of South Africa’s container traffic. driven market with oil in particularly high
hugely contentious issue in the country. Durban was Africa’s busiest container port demand following the Ukraine conflict
Africa’s biggest port will be partly for decades but has now slipped into third and grain-producing countries like South
owned and operated by the Philippines’ place behind Tangiers in Morocco and Africa and Mozambique harvesting 20 per
International Container Terminal Services Port Said in Egypt. cent more maize in response.
(ICTSI), a first for South Africa’s national Interestingly terminals in Africa’s east And in central regions, demand
ports company. coast have entered a phase of renewal, for rare earth elements such as cobalt,
Over a 25-year term, ICTSI will partner allowing them to absorb the increase in copper, and lithium (which are essential
with Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) to traffic from Asia. For long, this industry ingredients for producing electric

2 LUA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2023