Swaziland’s well developed-transport infrastructure is able to take care of most needs for the movement of goods and people within the country and across her borders. Operators specialising in diverse transport services are available in the country and are professionally run to high standards. The transport sector is governed by various regulations under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport through the relevant Departments, such as the Roads Department, Road Transportation Department, the Road Safety Section and the Department of Civil Aviation. Railways infrastructure and services are provided through Swaziland Railway, a parastatal organisation that falls under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport International and regional protocols are in place, such as the SADC Transport, Communications and Meteorology Protocol, supported by the National Transport Policy. Together these aim at strengthening cooperation in infrastructure and related services, and maintaining a viable and sustainable transport system. This is achieved by providing guidance and leadership in the development of an efficient and effective transport sector.
AIR SERVICES
The Civil Aviation Department is a
regulatory authority responsible for
the provision and upkeep of aircraftrelated
facilities and services to enable
aircraft to operate within safety standards.
It is also responsible for the country’s
aviation infrastructure development. A new
and bigger international airport at Sikhuphe
in the lowveld is under construction to accommodate future air passenger demand
projected for the region. It includes a 3,600
x 60 metre runway, an apron to
accommodate 747 Boeing aircraft, terminal
buildings, a VIP passenger lounge, air
navigation and ground handling equipment,
and all equipment necessary for a functional
airport.
Swaziland Airlink is a joint venture airline
company between the Government of
Swaziland, with the state being the major
shareholder. It provides scheduled
operations between Manzini and
Johannesburg with four flights a day, which
link conveniently to international long-haul
flights to most global destinations.
ROAD TRANSPORT
Swaziland’s diverse industries require
highly sophisticated road transport
services for the movement of goods
within and across the borders to neighbouring countries. Road transport
provides efficient movement to the rail
depots and the Matsapha inland clearance
depot, from where export goods are railed
to sea ports and imported commodities are
received.
Nearly all passengers using public transport
are conveyed by road, as are goods
transported within Swaziland.
The market
share of road transport is estimated at about
50% of total cross-border traffic. Ownership
of passenger transport operations is in the
hands of relatively small-scale local private
operators who often run these as family
businesses. There currently is no subsidy
from Government to these operators.
Transport Administration and
Regulation
The Road Transportation Department (RTD)
administers and regulates the road transport
sector in the country through a permit system
which is issued in terms of the Road
Transportation Act No.37 of 1963. It also
administers various regional and bilateral
agreements with other countries, such as
the Memorandum of Understanding of
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
and programs under COMESA and SADC.
The Department is also responsible for the
implementation and enforcement of the
Road Traffic Act, Road Transportation Act
and Regulations including any updates,
amendments and other tasks associated
with road transport.
Cross-Border Transport Operations
A Memorandum of Understanding between
Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana and
Lesotho applies to cross border traffic and
regulates the operations of each country’s
transport operators while in the territory of
the other state. Operators may obtain
permits, which are recognised among these
countries, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. A certificate of fitness
for each vehicle must accompany
applications and the permits are valid for
one year or 30 return trips. A roadworthiness
certificate issued by the appropriate vehicle
testing authority of each country must be
recognised by the authorities of other states.
Although the transport of goods between
countries in the region entails separate
permits, a common ruling for the SADC
states is in hand to streamline operations.
Legislation pertaining to road transportation
has been revised in Swaziland and a new
Road Transportation Act of 2006 has now
replaced the Act of 1963.
Passenger Transport
The most widely used means for road
passenger transport are buses, taxis, private
cars and bicycles. Cars are typically used
by the middle and upper classes but
ownership, although rising, is still low and
the majority of Swazi people use public
transport, particularly in the urban areas.
The increase in car ownership is confirmed
by the performance of the motor industry,
particularly used vehicles imported mainly
from Asia.
Rural transportation is largely by public
transport and on foot, particularly in many
of the inaccessible areas. Bicycle use is low
and has not been vigorously promoted.
Buses are the principal means of transport,
with taxis playing a lesser role.
Bus sizes
vary from 50-70 seaters used mainly for longdistance
and inter-urban transport, to
medium size of 28-40 seaters and the 10-
15-seat minibus, mainly used for inter-urban
transport. At September 2009, there were
3,389 public service permits issued for the
different types of public road transport. The
role of the midi and mini buses has become
more clearly established with their
advantages of smaller size, lower entry costs,
and quicker turn-around times now giving them a clear advantage, especially in shorter
urban transport routes.
Given the number of Swazis who rely on
buses, efficient and safe services are essential
to the economy.
The permit system is being
computerised for better monitoring and
management. For example, permit holders
do not always adequately service their routes
and anomalies in the system mean that
permission to operate on the same route
may be withheld from a potentially efficient
party.
Freight
The bulk of road freight operations are
carried out by established, multinational
companies based in Swaziland, with only a
few Swazi companies competing in this
sector. Several smaller operators carry out
specific contracts but these are short-term
demand driven operations that do not allow
for long term development strategies to be
followed. It is estimated that the local freight
operators have less than 30% of the market.
The operators move all categories of
commodities internally and across borders
for delivery to ports for overseas shipment
and to destinations in neighbouring
countries.
They also move goods into the
country. They operate fleets of reliable,
modern vehicles, which are often especially
designed to accommodate specific types of
goods. Safety standards are high and the
larger operators have their own workshops
for vehicle maintenance and repairs.
Cargo Carriers
Cargo Carriers which marks 49 years of
operating in Swaziland, is the largest
transporter of its kind in the region. It initiated
cane transport operations in the local sugar
industry in 1961 and from this successful
platform launched similar operations in
Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga (Malelane)
regions.
The division operates from five depotsstrategically placed throughout Swaziland
and Mpumalanga at Big Bend, Simunye,
Mhlume, Malelane and Komatipoort,
transporting in excess of three million tonnes
annually to the various mills.
Cargo Carriers Swaziland operates a fleet
of over 160 units and provides employment
and training for more than 350 local people.
The sugar division provides logistics services
across the entire supply chain, ranging from
mechanical harvesting, infield loading and
haulage direct to mill, and zone to mill cane
haulage, as well as transporting the finished
products of alcohol, bulk and bagged sugar,
molasses and fuel. The company is also
involved in the transportation of products
such as citrus and timber.
Cargo Carriers has committed to social
responsibility and development by
establishing joint venture transportation and
logistics businesses with small growers
throughout the South African and
Swaziland sugar belts. In Swaziland,
Lugubhu Carriers is an acclaimed player for
small grower logistics needs in the northern region, and the aim is to roll it out to the
rest of the country.
This company is
contracted to transport 100,000 tonnes of
cane from five small-grower associations.
The company is also committed to
empowerment and sub-contracts certain
work to smaller local transporters. At the
start of the 2009 cane season a driver
ownership schemes for existing employees
was introduced. This includes five Swazi
truck drivers operating as owner-drivers, and
a further 11 people have been appointed
as tractor owner-drivers.
The aim of the programme is to empower
people who would otherwise not have an
opportunity to become successful
entrepreneurs. The most important aspects
are the identification and training of suitable
candidates and the experience they receive,
which in turn they pass on to their families
and local communities.
Over the past seven years, Cargo Carriers
has invested in systems, software
development and the development of
logistical skills and has transformed from purely a trucking company into a logistics
and supply chain service provider, based on
the experience and fundamentals of
intelligent trucking.
Cargo Carriers is committed to safety,
health, environment and quality and is ISO
9001:2000 and 14001:2004 accredited.
Accreditation and continual improvement
and upgrading of these procedures and
practices are a vital cog in the business.
With Cargo Carriers’ track record of
innovation, careful strategy and operational
efficiency in the sugar industry, it has
established itself as much more than a sugar
transporter and is proud to be a stakeholder
in Swaziland’s economy and its people.
Unitrans
This major road haulier is based at
Mataspha Industrial Site, from where it is
well-placed to serve its diverse client base.
Unitrans employs 152 people and operates
a fleet of 50 dedicated vehicles for the
movement of various commodities,
including forestry products, sugar and animal
feed. Unitrans also transport Coca Cola
concentrates to canners and bottlers in
South Africa and a major, specialised
contract is the transport of fuel for all the
major oil companies that operate in the
country. One of the longest-standing and
experienced transport concerns in the region,
Unitrans has been operating in Swaziland
since 1960.
COURIER & DISTRIBUTION
SERVICES
This secure, fast means of moving
documents and parcels is available
through local concerns. They provide
a door-to-door service regionally and
worldwide, and also handle the formalities
involved in moving items between borders.
FedEx Express
The FedEx Express licensee in Swaziland,
Supaswift (Swaziland) (Pty) Ltd, prides itself
on delivering time-sensitive freight quickly,
cost effectively, carefully and on schedule.
With branches in Mbabane and Matsapha
as well as throughout Southern Africa,
Supaswift offers a door-to-door customscleared
service.
As part of the FedEx global network,
Customers in Swaziland have access to the
world’s largest express transportation
company, providing fast, reliable and timedefinite
transportation of approximately 7.5
million packages to more than 220 countries
and territories each working day.
RAIL
Swaziland
Railway
Swaziland Railway is a parastatal
organization that provides transport services
for import and export commodities as well
as transit cargo. It is rated one of the best
railways in the SADC region in terms of
transit time, reliability and predictability,
linking Swaziland’s main industrial centres
with the railway systems of South Africa,
Mozambique and other SADC countries to
the North. SR owns and maintains the
infrastructure and rolling stock and operates
a 300km network.
A diversity of cargo is transported, including
the country’s major exports of sugar, canned
fruit, coal and unbleached Kraft pulp, while
fuel, wheat and cement are imported in large quantities. Loads range from 2000 to 6400
tonnes per train.
The network extends east to west (111km)
from Matsapha Industrial Site to Goba in
Mozambique while the 189km north to
south line runs from Mananga to Golela,
where it links to the South African ports of
Durban and Richards Bay. The Mananga
link provides access to Johannesburg and
Zimbabwe via Komatipoort while the Siweni
line connects with Maputo in Mozambique.
Traffic between Durban and the northern
countries is economically routed along the
North-South line cutting the distance
through Gauteng by 270km and reducing
the transit time by up to three days. The
rehabilitation of the line to Maputo benefits
customers with faster transit times and also
provides clients with increased security of
cargo.
Swaziland Railway is committed to
providing 24 hour technical and operational
support to ensure the safe passage and
transit of all commodities. Cargo is
constantly monitored to ensure it reaches
its final destination safely and on time.
The safety program ensures that critical equipment and infrastructure is available at
all times and that goods reach their destination
intact. The program is also designed to
minimise personal injury and damage to
equipment.
About E6 million was invested to restore the
mainline (N/S link) to original operating speed
of 60km/h.
The project objectives were to
remove all speed restrictions, sleeper
replacement, ballast regulation and tamping.
The UHF radio and the computer based track
warranty systems are working very well with
reliability above 95%. This has enabled
efficient communication with neighbouring
railways and improved safety. Swaziland
Railway has also recently added 20 fuel
wagons to its fleet in order to meet the
increased demand for fuel.
Swaziland Railway subscribes to the principle
of Triple Bottom Line and addresses
Economic, Environmental and Social issues
in the organisation.
In an attempt to address the HIV/AIDS
problem, SR has internal employee wellness
programs and also involves the communities
surrounding its villages in the fight against the
disease.
This is part of the implementation
of this policy which makes the training of
educators and counsellors from the
communities a part of its structure. SR also
assists its communities by funding projects
such as small dams, building of class rooms,
community cash generation and food
distribution. SR also promotes conservation
and preservation of the environment.
Swaziland Railway is building capacity to
handle more traffic and to deal with
environmental disasters such as oil and
chemical spillages after derailments with the
ultimate goal of preventing such events. In
the event of such an incident SR will contain
spillage to a manageable geographical area
to avoid contaminating waterways, grazing
and farming lands.
The railway owns two schools. Incentives are
given to the government-paid teachers so that
they commit to producing students with an
excellent level of education.
The Matsapha Inland Clearance Depot
(Dry Port)
The worldwide growth of containerisation for
transporting goods and the expansion of
Swaziland’s export industries made the
establishment of an inland container depot
a logical development. This facility was
established in 1993 at Matsapha Industrial
Site. The objective is to meet the needs of
importers and exporters and provide
streamlined services that are time and cost
sensitive. It also broadens Swaziland
Railway’s revenue base.
The depot is effectively a dry port, or
international satellite port, and is ideal for a
landlocked country such as Swaziland as it
incorporates all the services associated with
a sea port.
These include handling 3m, 6m and 12m
containers; road trailers and vehicles to run a
door to door service to clients; on site customs
clearance facilities, enabling the issue of
through bills of lading between overseas
origins/destinations and Swaziland;
computerized tracking of containers and
temporary container storage.
The containers
are moved by road to the ICD and progress
by rail to the seaport, from where they are
loaded onto ships.
Container traffic has increased substantially
- from 2,500 TEUs per annum pre 2002 to
an average of 15,000 TEUs per annum today.
In order to continue running the ICD efficiently
the infrastructure and facilities have been
upgraded. In 2002 the stacking area surface
was made sturdier and harder and a reach
stacker was purchased with a safe working
load (SWL) of 45 tonnes. In 2006 a further
reach stacker was obtained to cope with
growing demand. Efforts are now underway to further expand the ICD to accommodate
the growing traffic streams.
The advantages of a dry port include the
collection of port charges by SR on behalf of
the South African Port Authority; customs
offices for the clearance of cargo within the
Matsapha Station; some shipping lines and
clearing/forwarding agents are housed in the
same building to facilitate all necessary
documentation; proximity to major clients
enables SR to serve them efficiently and
effectively.
In the next three years the Dry port will be
expanded to twice its current stacking area.
Consulting Engineers are working on the
design drawings. The expansion will ease
congestion at the Dry Port and raise
operational efficiency.
FORMALITIES
The complex formalities and
paperwork involved in moving goods
across borders within and beyond the
Common Customs Area are handled by
companies with expertise in this specialised field.
Goods arriving in the country from outside the
Common Customs Area must have import
permits and declared values, with clearing
documents issued by a recognised agent.
Sales tax of 14% is payable on all imported
goods, with the exception of alcohol and
tobacco products which are taxed at 25%.
Invoices must be supplied at the point of entry
where the tax is also collected, unless a sales
tax registration number is presented.
Although value added tax applies in South
Africa, commodities exported from that
country into Swaziland are allocated zero
rating provided the exporter is satisfied that
the goods are destined for outside that country,
and that relevant forms are completed. This
avoids double taxation.
VEHICLE RENTAL
Rental services for different types of
vehicles are available in Swaziland
with the major representation at
Matsapha airport. Vehicles may be hired as
part of a travel package or by contacting the
rental outlets direct.