PORTS, TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS SECTOR NEWS ROUND-UP, 5/2020 (2 – 13 MARCH 2020)
In light of the rapid pace of infrastructure and transport developments across Africa, our Ports, Transport and Logistics (PTL) Sector Group is pleased to present Bowmans’ latest PTL news round-up. Our regular round-ups bring you a selection of pan-African PTL-related stories and keep you up to date regarding developments in the space across Africa.
We draw on a network of multi-disciplinary experts across Africa in fields as diverse as project finance, construction and environmental law, to keep you in the know about developments and thought leadership in the PTL space.
The articles to which we refer readers are, unless stated otherwise, neither written nor edited by ourselves and appear in their original form. Bowmans does not necessarily agree with opinions expressed in those articles.
This edition includes news headlines and links to articles from a variety of sources, covering stories from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Namibia, Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Uganda.
Recent regulatory news from South Africa
- Covid19 – South African shipping perspective: On 19 March 2020, Andrew Pike contributed to an article in Shipping and Freight Resource summarising the sweeping regulatory controls introduced, almost overnight, by the principal governmental role players in the ports and shipping sector. Read the full article here. SAMSA has since published a further Marine Notice No 16 of 2020 titled “Implementation of March 2020 National Ports Act (COVID-19 Restrictions on the movement of persons and crew) Regulations, 2020” dated 19 March 2020. A copy is available here.
- The Ports Regulator of South Africa published the following:
- Approved Tariff Methodology for Tariff Years 2021/22 - 2023/24 dated 6 March 2020
- Approved Tariff Book Financial Year 2020/21 dated 10 March 2020
- Tariff Strategy for the South African Ports System 2015/16 Revised: March 2020 dated 12 March 2020
- South Africa’s Department of Transport published the Merchant Shipping Bill 2020 for public comments before 5 May 2020, being 60 days from publication on 6 March 2020. A copy is available here. The Merchant Shipping Public and Stakeholders Consultations meetings that were scheduled to take place during March 2020 at a number of locations in South Africa, have been cancelled.
More news continues below
NPA threatens to cancel APM Terminals Apapa concession: negative report on Lagos terminal delays (Nigeria)
Source: Africa Ports (13 March 2020)
Unless there is a late development, the Nigerian Ports Authority will commence the taking over of the container terminal operations of APM Terminals at Apapa in Lagos. Read the full article here.
Mozambique government prepares to concession Quelimane Fishing Port and Dry Dock (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (13 March 2020)
The fishing port and dry dock facility at Mozambique’s port of Quelimane is to be privatised in order to improve services and support for commercial fishing on the Sofala Bank. Read the full article here.
Saldanha Bay IDZ signs up three new investors (South Africa)
Source: FTW Online (13 March 2020)
The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) has signed three new investment agreements, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic opportunities, David Maynier has announced. Read the full article here.
Transnet continues to battle with cable theft: freight rail corridors badly hit (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (12 March 2020)
The continuing theft of overhead cables and railway tracks has reached unprecedented levels and is directly affecting key economic sectors in the country. Read the full article here.
Chinese Exim Bank rejects Uganda SGR loan request (Uganda and Kenya)
Source: Africa Ports (12 March 2020)
China’s Export/Import (EXIM) bank has declined, for the second time, a loan request from Uganda that would have been used to built the proposed standard gauge railway (SGR) in Uganda. Read the full article here.
Ghanaian private sector looks to enhance trade & business environment (Ghana)
Source: Africa Ports (12 March 2020)
The private sector in Ghana is investigating ways to enhance the trade and business environment in Ghana. Read the full article here.
DRC delays construction of bridge (Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of the Congo)
Source: FTW Online (12 March 2020)
Plans to complete the link bridge between Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city, and Brazzaville, the capital of Congo, have been put on hold to allow governments to focus on other urgent matters, the East African has reported. Read the full article here.
789 million tonnes of iron ore exports for Liberia's Port Buchanan (Liberia)
Source: Africa Ports (11 March 2020)
Liberia has entered into an agreement by way of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore’s Al Khaldiya Mining Private Ltd to rail iron ore from neighbouring Guinea to the Liberian port of Buchanan. Read the full article here.
Total says work is well underway for the processing of gas in Mozambique (Mozambique)
Source: Africa Ports (11 March 2020)
According to a spokesman for Total, the oil and gas company which is developing a natural gas field off the northern Mozambique coast, work is progressing as per schedule with the aim of beginning exports of liquefied natural gas by 2024. Read the full article here.
Standard Chartered becomes first financial institution to join digital logistics platform
Source: FTW Online (11 March 2020)
Blockchain-enabled digital container logistics platform TradeLens announced on Tuesday that Standard Chartered Bank had become the first financial organisation to join the platform after entering a formal agreement with the bank. Read the full article here.
Saldanha takes delivery of two new mobile ship loaders for MPT (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (6 March 2020)
The Port of Saldanha Multi-purpose Terminal (MPT) received a shot in the arm with the delivery of two new mobile ship loaders, which are shortly about to be commissioned. Read the full article here.
Sale of Ghana's Anadarko operation to Total SA underway (Ghana)
Source: Africa Ports (6 March 2020)
Following the sale of Andarko’s oil-related operations in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa to French oil major Total SA, approval processes have commenced in Ghana regarding the disposal of Anadarko’s operations in the West African country. Read the full article here.
African carriers post fastest growth despite global decline in air cargo demand
Source: FTW Online (5 March 2020)
As global cargo volumes continued their downward spiral for the tenth consecutive month, African carriers posted the fastest growth of any region for the 11th consecutive month in January, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Read the full article here.
Port of Luderitz sees significant increase in cargo throughout (Namibia)
Source: Africa Ports (5 March 2020)
The Port of Lüderitz is enjoying significant increases in cargo throughout and is progressing towards economic acceleration as reflected in the country’s Harambee Prosperity Plan. Read the full article here.
312-km Congo-Cameroon highway completed (Republic of the Congo and Cameroon)
Source: Africa Ports (5 March 2020)
The Sembé-Souanké-Ntam road in northern Congo connecting that country with Cameroon is being officially opened this week. Read the full article here.
Port of Walvis Bay meets record moves-per-hour milestone (Namibia)
Source: FTW Online (4 March 2020)
Productivity at the Port of Walvis Bay seems to be progressing smoothly since the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) commissioned its new container terminal last August. Read the full article here. Also reported by Africa Ports here.
Nigerian Safety Authority (NIMAS) establishes online ship registry (Nigeria)
Source: Africa Ports (4 March 2020)
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMAS) has established an automated, online ship registry in Lagos. Read the full article here.
Africa Energy signs farmout agreements for Block 2B offshore South Africa (South Africa)
Source: Africa Ports (2 March 2020)
Africa Energy Corp, a Canadian oil and gas company with exploration assets offshore South Africa and Namibia, has announced the execution of two farmout agreements whereby the Company will transfer an aggregate 62.5% participating interest in the Exploration Right for Block 2B offshore South Africa in consideration for a carry through the next exploration well, Gazania-1, which is expected to spud by the end of 2020. Read the full article here.
APMT West Africa Container Terminal orders 20 RTGs from Konecranes (Nigeria)
Source: Africa Ports (2 March 2020)
Additional details are to hand about the upgrading of terminal facilities and equipment at the APM Terminals-operated West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in the port of Onne, Eastern Nigeria. Read the full article here.
Ports far more deserving of Treasury’s largesse (South Africa)
Source: FTW Online (2 March 2020)
The billions of rand allocated in the Budget to South African Airways would be far better spent on South Africa’s ports which are Transnet’s money-spinners. Read the full article here.