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BLT WORLD offers transport systems for safe and efficient handling of wind turbines.

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Durban-based material handling specialist, BLT WORLD, supplies and supports an extensive range of handling equipment, including transportation equipment designed especially for the wind turbine industry.

Novatech’s specialist equipment for the safe and efficient transportation of wind turbine components encompasses wing transportation, tower and Nacelle brackets.

BLT WORLD’s Novatech self-contained tower lifters are used for safely transporting wind turbine towers on board ro-ro ferries, with no risk of damage to components. The robust tower lifters, with a maximum lifting capacity of 80 t, are fitted with a hydraulic pump unit for dependable powering of lifting and steering cylinders. The tower bogie system, with a 140 t load capacity, has been designed to transport towers safely and securely around ports.

The company’s portfolio of container and bulk handling equipment also encompasses Mobicon straddle carriers, Taylor empty and loaded container handlers and reach stackers, as well as Meclift variable reach trucks for swift and safe container stuffing and handling.

Terminal tractors can be customised for specific handling tasks required. The company is also the exclusive distributor in Africa for the Samson range of bulk handling equipment, which includes material feeders for loading and high capacity stockpiling, link conveyors and eco – hoppers, as well as mobile shiploaders. BLT WORLD also distributes MDS trommel screens and apron feeders for mineral processing and recycling applications.

The company supports this equipment with a technical advisory and original spare parts service to all sectors, including shipping, mining and quarrying, civil engineering and construction, as well as general engineering, materials handling and agricultural industries.

Grindrod sets up new export route for Botswana coal.

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Grindrod’s Matola terminal at the Port of Maputo says it has welcomed its second coal train from Botswana. The terminal also managed to successfully discharge the 50 wagons using the terminal’s tipplers.

The first train arrived at the port in April, marking a milestone for Grindrod’s Mozambican drybulk terminal.

This rail consignment of 40 wagons each carried around 2 000 t of mineral coal. The train originated from Palapye, in Botswana, transiting through Zimbabwe via the Chicualacuala rail network, to the final destination in Maputo.

Grindrod loaded the cargo on a vessel destined for Europe.

This follows the dispatch of a sample load to the Matola terminal, in order to confirm the compatibility of the Botswana wagons with the terminal’s tipplers.

This successful collaboration between African Railway Company, Botswana Rail, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Mozambican Railway Company (Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique) and Grindrod, has managed to create a new export route for Botswana coal producers.

It is envisaged that the corridor could realise a yearly export volume of 350 000 t to 400 000 t of coal from Botswana.

Botswana is attempting to develop a number of new coal mines, but as it is a landlocked country it requires a cost-effective, efficient crossborder export route.

PROFLIGHT WELCOMES FIRST BOEING 737 AIRCRAFT

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Proflight Zambia, the leading airline in Zambia, is celebrating the arrival of its first 126-seat Boeing 737-500, marking a significant milestone in the company’s history and reaffirming its commitment to delivering exceptional air travel experiences.
The introduction of the Boeing 737 represents a major advancement for Proflight, enhancing its ability to cater to its expanding customer base with increased comfort, reliability, and efficiency. The aircraft has six abreast seating and large overhead baggage stowage that will offer a superior journey to passengers with an improved level of comfort.
The Boeing 737 will be the third Jet added to Proflight’s fleet since emerging from the COVID pandemic in 2022. Proflight’s fleet with the addition of the Boeing 737 will now consist of eight aircraft: including three 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-100/200 jets, three 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft, and one 18-seater Jetstream 32 aircraft.
Captain Josias Walubita, Proflight Director of Flight Operations, expressed his excitement about the arrival of the Boeing 737, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome the Boeing 737 aircraft to our esteemed fleet. This momentous occasion represents a significant milestone for Proflight Zambia, further emphasizing our commitment to providing exceptional service to our cherished customers. The advanced features of the Boeing 737 will enable us to offer an even more comfortable and enjoyable travel experience.”
Proflight Zambia remains dedicated to continuously enhancing its services and expanding its network to meet the growing demands of its valued customers. The addition of the Boeing 737 to its fleet demonstrates the airline’s unwavering commitment to delivering world-class travel experiences while contributing to the development of Zambia’s aviation industry and efficient regional transport.
The airline eagerly anticipates the numerous opportunities and growth that this aircraft will bring, firmly believing that it will strengthen its position as the preferred regional carrier. Although the new Boeing 737 arrived ahead of schedule, it is expected to commence operations and make its inaugural flight in a few days, pending regulatory approvals.
As Proflight Zambia ushers in this new era with the arrival of its first Boeing 737, the airline remains committed to its core values of safety, reliability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Travelers can look forward to enhanced air travel experiences and a continued dedication to excellence from the airline. Proflight's Boeing 737-500 Arrival at KKIA May,  2023Proflight's Boeing 737-500 Arrival at KKIA May,  2023

Proflight Overtakes South Africa On Lusaka-Johannesburg Flights

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Proflight Zambia has boosted capacity on its Lusaka-Johannesburg service, resulting in the route between the two cities having more Zambian operated flights than South African ones.

Proflight has increased the frequency of its flights to three times a day and is introducing a 126-seat 737-500 aircraft to its fleet to meet demand.

The airline will commence the three daily flights seven days a week from April and the addition of the leased 737-500 aircraft from African Charter Airline of Johannesburg will be operational from June.

“We are thrilled to make the announcement, as this development is closely tied to Proflight’s ambition to expand our services into the regional market and reflects the commitment, we have to promoting air travel as an affordable, safe, and reliable means of transportation,” said Proflight Zambia Director Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita.

“It is also exciting news for travellers to and from Zambia and South Africa on business or holiday as we providing them with more flight options and comfort,” Capt. Walubita added.

The Lusaka-Johannesburg route will be serviced by Proflight’s three 50-seater Bombardier jet aircrafts and the 737 aircraft, providing comfort and speed for passengers. The 737 aircraft has 126 economy seats that will increase capacity for the 2023 season – using nine aircraft: the 737, three 50-seater Bombardier jet, four 29-seater Jetstream 41, and one 18-seater Jetstream 32, to service 10 destinations supported by 210 employees, of which over 95% are Zambian citizens.

The Lusaka-Johannesburg is one of the airlines’ more popular routes only taking two-hours on its jets. By offering more flights on the route, Proflight has positioned itself as the airline of choice in terms of flexible flight plans. The airline also continues to invest in trainings for its employees as well as expand its fleet to meet regional and local demand.

Proflight Adds Special Flights to Nc’wala

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Nc’wala attracts 10% discount for tourists

Proflight Zambia is offering a 10 per cent discount on fares for travelers flying to Eastern Province to enjoy the Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony.

The airline is offering a fare reduction on return flights scheduled on its Lusaka-Mfuwe route for travellers heading to the ceremony between February 22 and March 1, 2023.

“In the spirit of unity with our Ngoni cousins, and in recognition of the important role of traditional ceremonies, we are pleased to announce a special 10 per cent discount for travellers flying to the upcoming Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony in Chipata, connecting via our Lusaka-Mfuwe route,” said Proflight Zambia Director Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita.

“Proflight is excited to play a part to support and promote Zambian tourism and culture through providing a safe and reliable means of transport that is fast and convenient to travellers attending and participating in the activities at the ceremony,” he added.

The Nc’wala Traditional ceremony is a thanksgiving ceremony held by the Ngoni people every year at Mtenguleni village in Chipata District, Eastern Province of Zambia. This ceremony gives thanks for the first harvests of the season. Ngoni ancestors, who originated from old Zulu culture, have passed this ritual to current generations.

The ceremony this year is unique as the Paramount Chief Mpezeni celebrates the ritual having reigned for 40 years. People from all backgrounds will participate and attend the ceremony held on February 25, 2023, which is the last Saturday of the month.

The discount offer is valid on return flights only and travelers can book their flights through the airline’s website www.flyzambia.com.

Proflight announces the arrival of its third regional jet

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Proflight Zambia has announced the arrival of its third CRJ Regional Jet that will allow the nation’s regional airline to increase capacity on its international and domestic routes.
With demand for travel expected to grow at a robust pace in the coming year, Proflight Zambia is investing in its jet fleet so as to offer more comfort and speed for its customers.

The Bombardier CRJ jets have so far proved to be an excellent aircraft for the airline, being able to operate profitably and efficiently in both the domestic and international markets. Proflight Zambia plans to increase its capacity in 2023 once the aircraft is put on the Zambian register.
The jet is the second 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-200 that Proflight has leased from Avmax Leasing, a prominent Canadian leasing company that specialises in leasing Canadian-manufactured aircraft.

“Proflight Zambia is excited to add another jet aircraft to its fleet thanks to Avmax our ideal leasing partner. We have been very pleased with Avmax’s ability to work with us and understand our needs as an airline. It’s a great comfort knowing that we can count on Avmax to consistently deliver a quality product from their North American MRO facilities,” said Tony Irwin, Proflight Zambia CEO.

Scott Greig, Avmax Senior VP and Head of Avmax Aircraft Leasing Inc stated: “Avmax is excited to deliver its second CRJ200 to our customer Proflight Zambia. Proflight has demonstrated great performance and measured growth over the past year, and as such, they have been a leading contributor to the increase in the country’s international arrivals in 2022.
“The CRJ200 is perfectly built to serve Proflight Zambia’s customers in southern Africa as it allows them to offer additional flights and destinations from its base in Lusaka,” added Greig.Mr Irwin thanked Move Aircraft Solutions Ltd for delivering on another challenging ferry that involves multiple parties, specialised routes, and following very high standards of safety and efficiency. The routing is from Calgary Canada and routing via Great Falls, Montana- Goose Bay, Canada- Keflavik, Iceland – Southampton, UK – Algiers, Algeria- N’Djamena, Chad- Lusaka.

“Following a very strong cooperation and relationship formed from our first delivery, the professional and experienced management at Proflight Zambia turned to Move Aircraft Flight Solutions to deliver their 3rd CRJ 200 from America to Lusaka,” highlighted Nabeel Ahmed CEO and Accountable Manager of Move Aircraft Solutions Ltd.

Proflight Zambia’s Maintenance Director, Oliver Ndlovu, also accompanied a team from the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority ZCAA in October to inspect the aircraft at its base in Montana United States of America and thanked the ZCAA for their assistance in this approval process.
With the addition of the new aircraft, Proflight Zambia’s total fleet increases to 7 aircraft.

First MSC Air Cargo Aircraft Delivered

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MSC has taken the next step in developing its Air Cargo solution with the delivery of the first MSC-branded aircraft, built by Boeing and operated by Atlas Air. The B777-200 Freighter will fly on routes between China, the US, Mexico and Europe.

Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President Air Cargo at MSC, said: “Our customers need the option of air solutions, which is why we’re integrating this transportation mode to complement our extensive maritime and land cargo operations. The delivery of this first aircraft marks the start of our long-term investment in air cargo.”

Jannie Davel brings extensive air cargo experience, having worked in the sector for many years, most recently heading Delta’s commercial cargo operations, before joining MSC in 2022.

He said: “Since I started at MSC, I have spoken to numerous partners and customers right across the market and it is very clear that air cargo can enable a range of companies to meet their logistics needs. Flying adds options, speed, flexibility and reliability to supply chain management, and there are particular benefits for moving perishables, such as fruit and vegetables, pharmaceutical and other healthcare products and high-value goods.

We are delighted to see the first of our MSC-branded aircraft take to the skies and we believe that MSC Air Cargo is developing from a solid foundation thanks to the reliable, ongoing support from our operating partner Atlas Air.”

Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW), is supporting MSC on an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) basis. This aircraft is the first of four B777-200Fs in the pipeline, which are being placed on a long-term basis with MSC, providing dedicated capacity to support the ongoing development of the business.

The B777-200F twin-engine aircraft has been commended for its advanced fuel efficiency measures. It also has low maintenance and operating costs, and, with a range of 4,880 nautical miles (9,038 kilometres), it can fly further than any other aircraft in its class. It also meets quota count standards for maximum accessibility to noise sensitive airports around the globe.

Moving Supply Chains in Africa- DSV

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Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) mining sector could treble its output if the continent could invigorate its transport infrastructure said Peter Verheyke, Manager, Senior, Projects & Overborder, Air & Sea.

Verheyke has been solving logistics challenges in Africa for more than 30 years, and his view underlines the importance of supply chains and the logistics sector to the region’s economic progress. “I’m an optimist and I believe that if the industry keeps working with governments and all other stakeholders, the problems we currently face can be overcome”.

An efficient rail system will help reduce the pressure on existing bottlenecks by reducing the number of vehicles blocking these already stretched facilities and over-extended workforce.

The world needs copper and cobalt for cell phones, televisions and semiconductors for motor vehicles, and other minerals which Africa is rich in, but corruption, administrative functionality and poor infrastructure is hampering progress. “My guess is that if you could get the current 48-day round trip to 20-day round trip, you could effectively treble the output and input. The tonnage difference moved would be huge!”, said Verheyke.

Much of the built infrastructure has been poorly maintained or supplemented for some time, and so you have an output dilemma in that the existing infrastructure is not able to accommodate increased demand. “For example, once the copper is mined and sold ex-gate to traders, the problems move from the mining company to the traders who need to move vast amounts of cargo to all the possible exit points to get it to market. With all the current mines increasing capacity, the pressure will mount even further”.

Roads are mostly single-track, and this is not conducive to efficient logistics, and much of the rail network is either now redundant or in poor condition. In most parts of Africa there are vehicle shortages and the ports of entry are inadequate.

Port productivity is a major problem in Africa. Ports in the developed world manage upwards of a move a minute, while African ports are up to 10 times slower. This is not in a ship owner’s interest, because ships are so much less productive coming to South Africa and other African ports.

Verheyke said it was critical to fix the harbors, roads, and railways (and to make sure they are all the same gauge) and improve border administrations and processes, as there can be no progress if goods don’t move quicker. Importantly, the right interventions need to be made in the right places – Verheyke also points to the revitalized harbor in Lobito, Angola being something of a white elephant because it’s on the wrong side of the continent in terms of most buyers/users of copper and cobalt, who include China, India, and others in the APAC region.

Ports on the east side of the continent are struggling with congestion and reliability issues and the lack of space to expand port operations due to the position of the respective ports within the city limits. The only expansion possibilities are outside the actual port which would add another link to the already expensive supply chain. Beira port is battling with draught limitations that restrict the larger vessels from berthing.

DSV has worked throughout SSA for years, and past and present projects include:

  • Democratic Republic of Congo – Phase III of a major Copper mine, smelter and housing project which has involved an estimated 4000 truckloads over 18 months
  • Zambia – Copper projects, 80 truckloads monthly
  • Zimbabwe – Commodity Projects
  • Botswana – various smaller mines
  • Mozambique and Angola – oil and gas projects
  • Tanzania – supply by road to various mines
  • Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya – supply by road to various mines
  • South Africa – wind farms and solar energy parks.

And many others allow DSV to see the developments or lack there off, first hand.

Rangel focusing on the African market

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Increased investment in Zambia

With a presence in Africa since 2007 (Angola), in the last two years Rangel has made strong advancement in the South African market, expanding its footprint with the opening of facilities in South Africa and Zambia, where it is already a reference for cross-border transport.

According to Tiago Pocinho, country manager for South Africa and Zambia, the company has invested heavily in its warehouse facilities in Zambia, “It is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and cross-docking facilities, is food grade, and plans are already under way for it to be bonded.”

Rangel continues its investment in the African market, which includes increasing its own fleet, growing the local team, and expanding warehouse space in Johannesburg and Lusaka.

Rangel already has a vast portfolio of clients for land transport and customs clearances in Africa, being accredited as a Clearing Agent and ensuring connections with Southern Africa and East Africa. Providing cross border services in a strategy of corridors between Zambia, DRC, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.

“We are seeing real growth on several southern African corridors to and from Zambia. Our investment into the country is proving to be very positive, and we are committed to creating the necessary opportunities to grow our business.”, refers Tiago Pocinho.

Some of the sectors where the company intends to invest the most are the mining sector and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and general consumer goods, as these are the industries with the greatest potential, which Rangel intends to specialise in.

Rangel entered the South African market in 2020 by investing in its Clearing Agent service and, following the opening of the Johannesburg facility, in 2021 it opened offices and warehouse in Lusaka, Zambia and along the main borders of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana: Komatipoort, Musina and Globlersburg. Already this year it has opened its 5th facility in Zeerust and is scheduled to open in Nakop by the end of the year. Durban and Cape Town in South Africa are still scheduled to open by 2023.

“We have seen a great organic growth through the high demand for services in Africa by our clients, so we will continue to invest and expand our footprint in Africa in the near future”, adds Tiago Pocinho.

About Rangel Logistics Solutions

Rangel, is a company founded in 1980, it’s a global logistics partner with worldwide coverage that offers the most efficient solutions for each customer, type of cargo or industry, through a wide range of integrated transport and logistics services. With direct presence in seven countries and with a worldwide network of partners, it offers a portfolio of services specialized in logistics, land, sea and air transport, storage, physical distribution, express courier, customs formalities, fairs, exhibitions and works of art. Rangel’s internationalization began in 2007, with the opening of a branch in Angola, followed by Mozambique in 2011, Brazil in 2013, Cape Verde in 2015, and in 2020 Mexico and South Africa, creating a logistical triangle between America, Africa and Europe. The main asset is its people, with a multinational team of 2300 employees, assuming itself as a Learning Organization, with a focus on learning and continuous improvement. In 2020, Rangel registered a turnover of €203m, with 312,500 m2 of logistics area.

Forland Trucks Hits Zambian Market

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The government has assured the business community that it will continue supporting developments of new technology that is aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency and creating jobs for the Zambian people.

Minister of Transport and Logistics, Frank Tayali has since assured Forland of the government’s support in ensuring that the economic environment of doing business is favorable for growth.

Mr. Tayali said this in a speech delivered on his behalf by Minister of Transport and Logistics Permanent Secretary Fredrick Mwalusaka during the launch of the Forland truck brand in Zambia held at CAMCO head office in Lusaka on Friday.

“I have noted with delight that Forland is covering almost the whole part of Zambia with branches located in Choma, Chipata, Kapiri mposhi, Kitwe, Ndola, and Solwezi, bringing their services to the doorsteps of our people,” he said.

The Minister said the milestone that Forland has achieved brings about many benefits to the transport and motor industry in Zambia.

“Forland brings about famous and reliable brands from China that would grant my Government’s aspirations for the quality motor industry in Zambia,” he added.

Speaking at the same event, CAMCO Group of Companies Marketing Director Bernard Chiwala said as Zambia transforms itself into a land-linked country, it is their noble ambition, through CAMCO Motors in partnership with Forland to provide motor vehicles on the Zambian market that will respond to the challenge of climate change the world is grappling with.

He explained that the motors that will be provided will be climate smart.

CAMCO Group Chairman Li Tie said the decision to choose the new brand was arrived at after detailed consideration of what the company can offer on market.

Meanwhile, Forland International East Africa Regional General Manager Harry Han said, “in the future, we hope we could have a chance to establish an automobile production plant in Zambia together with CAMCO to realize the localized production of automobiles in Zambia.