The Kingdom of Lesotho is a landlocked country that relies on South Africa to access the international waters, through the Port of Durban. The country imports and exports 100% of its requirement through the Port of Durban. The country is effectively linked to the international markets through South Africa. The port of Durban is directly linked to Maseru by road network and by the South African Railway line network with a single railway line of about 1.6 km. Lesotho has one international airport, King Moshoeshoe 1 International Airport in Maseru the capital city and has Fourteen Land border gates, with Maseru bridge border post used heavily for imports.
The bulk of the logistics infrastructure of Lesotho is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport which have departments that oversee regulation, policy formulation and development of the different sectors in the industry. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport owns and operates ferry boats around river crossings. The agency Food management Unit, a government body owns strategic warehouse facilities in all districts in the country to store commodities. These facilities are normally used by Non-Government Organisations in their programs.
In Infographic summary, Lesotho has the below Logistics performance Index based on their Infrastructure:
Logistics performance index: Overall for Lesotho is equal to 2.24 and rank 179 worldwide with a score average of:
- Ability to track and trace consignments =1.99 with a ranking #185 worldwide
- Competence and quality of logistics services =2.42 with a ranking #139 worldwide
- Ease of arranging competitively priced shipments =2.12 with a ranking #181 worldwide
- Efficiency of customs clearance process =2 with a ranking #179 worldwide
- Frequency with which shipments reach consignee within scheduled or expected time =2.73 with a ranking #165 worldwide
- Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure =2.12 with a ranking #167 worldwide
Source: http://mecometer.com/infographic/lesotho/logistics-performance-index/
The LPI is based on a worldwide survey of operators on the ground (global freight forwarders and express carriers), providing feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of the countries in which they operate and those with which they trade. They combine in-depth knowledge of the countries in which they operate with informed qualitative assessments of other countries where they trade and experience of global logistics environment.
On the Global Ranking for 2018.2019, Lesotho ranking is below:
|
Year |
|||||||||
|
Lesotho |
2018 |
139 |
2.28 |
2.36 |
1.96 |
2.21 |
2.03 |
2.37 |
2.70 |
Note the Logistics Performance Index based on the link: https://lpi.worldbank.org/international/global/2018.%202019
Furthermore, the Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, handling about 3.6 million TEU per annum.
The port of Durban operates on a common user basis and consists of five business units managed by Transnet Port Terminals or TPT [formerly known as SA Port Operations (SAPO)] - Durban Container Terminal (Africa's busiest), consisting of Pier 1 Container Terminal and the main Durban Container Terminal on Pier 2. The Durban Ro-Ro Terminal handles roll-on roll off traffic (automotive) in addition to breakbulk cargo and a certain number of containers. There is also a multipurpose terminal at Maydon Wharf Terminal which also handles containers.
There are a number of other terminals in the port which are managed and operated by private companies, including the Bluff Coaling Terminal known as Bulk Connections, the large Island View oil and petroleum complex, often referred to as the Cutler Complex or simply as Island View, the Fresh Produce Terminal at the T-Jetty and another fruit terminal at Maydon Wharf, the Sugar Terminal and Wood Chip Terminal on Maydon Wharf, SA Bulk Terminals (Rennies) on both Maydon Wharf and Island View in addition to a number of other private facilities mostly at Maydon Wharf.
Source:https://www.transnet.net/AboutUs/Pages/Overview.aspx.
In March 2020 Durban Container Terminal was the first terminal in TPT to pioneer the Truck Appointment System to ease to container and truck traffic on Durban roads.
