Unifeeder’s weekly ocean freight service via the Port of Maputo, initially launched in 2022 for citrus exports from South Africa’s Letsitele and the Lowveld, is now experiencing significant growth in exports from Matsapha, Eswatini.
Logan Naidoo, Unifeeder’s Southern Africa representative, highlighted the success of the twice-daily rail service from Matsapha to the Mozambican port.
The two-hour journey moves dry bulk cargo, particularly from Eswatini’s thriving sugar industry, to the terminal managed by DP World, Unifeeder’s parent company.
Naidoo confirmed that the service currently handles about 20 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of exports per vessel.
This aligns with projections by the US Department of Agriculture, which predicted a 10% increase in sugar exports from Eswatini, totaling 620,000 metric tonnes.
In addition to sugar, the service has seen growing interest in shipping bulk cargoes such as scrap metal. Although imports lag behind exports, with around 15 TEUs arriving per inbound vessel, Naidoo is optimistic about future growth, particularly from China, which accounts for 80% of imports to Eswatini.
“We’re focused on capturing the potential of the Asian market and are working to secure a significant share for Eswatini,” Naidoo added.
Despite lower-than-expected citrus export volumes—just 15 containers in the last two vessels—the outbound service maintains its appeal by offering cold chain efficiency.
It guarantees a 10-day direct route to the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, exactly what citrus exporters require. The 14-day return route stops at Mundra and Nava Sheva in India, Mombasa in Kenya, and then Beira and Maputo in Mozambique.
Naidoo praised the cooperation with Eswatini Railways, contrasting it with South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). “Eswatini Railways is communicative and reliable,” Naidoo said.
“They will send a train to the port, even if there are only a few containers to pick up. Everything runs like clockwork.”
Regular stakeholder meetings between Eswatini Railways and Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique ensure smooth cross-border logistics, with both parties committed to avoiding delays.
“They go above and beyond to accommodate us, the complete opposite of what we experience with Transnet in Durban,” Naidoo concluded.
