Research and consulting specialist Africa House led a business delegation to Central African port cities last month to explore business opportunities in new port developments in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.

The business delegation comprised South African business development managers and senior strategic executives. The six-day mission included site visits and sector briefings, as well as meetings with South African High Commission representatives, the Cameroon Investment Promotion Agency, SDV Bolloré Africa Logistics, South African companies in Cameroon, the Cameroon National Ports Authority, the Port Authority of Douala, SDV Manutention, the Congo Investment Promotion Agency, the Pointe Noire the Port Authority, individual clients and local mining companies.

The delegation visit follows Africa House’s successful formula for introducing South Africa-based businesses to opportunities across the continent. Africa House hosts three to four business missions a year to key development regions across Africa.

Africa House projects and development finance director Paul Runge says: “The group mission format takes care of complicated logistical arrangements for delegates, as well as allowing delegates to be taken more seriously because they are part of a formal mission. The programme also supports networking and business collaboration among the members of the missions themselves.”

The visit followed a fact-finding mission by Runge to Douala and Kribi, in Cameroon, as well as Pointe Noire, in the Republic of Congo, where new and upcoming port developments promise opportunities for a range of businesses in the support infrastructure and ancillary supply fields.

The investigation was undertaken in close collaboration with French transport and logistics companies Bolloré and Necotrans, which are the holders of various concessions at the ports, and who have partnered Africa House in facilitating site visits.

Runge reports that there are a considerable number of opportunities across a range of sectors at the greenfield Kribi deep- water port. “Given the limitations of Douala port, Kribi has been identified as a future hub for development of petrochemicals production, as well as general cargo use,” he says.

Runge highlights that improvements at the Port of Douala include a 700 m extension of the quay, establishing a new container terminal and constructing additional warehouses.

He adds that a major port industrial zone is planned for Douala and that preparations are under way for a liquefied natural gas plant and a cocoa processing plant.

Finally, rail links to the inland iron-ore mines were identified as an important component of the programme.

At Douala port, which is an important gateway for supply to the land-locked Chad and Central African Republic markets, a number of port expansion initiatives are planned. The nearby Limbe deepwater port development will enhance capacity and a fertiliser plant is also planned for Limbe.

The Pointe Noire port, also a gateway to the interior markets, is set to be expanded by 31 berths over an area of 9 km2. Related projects are rail linkages to the inland iron-ore mines, the rehabilitation of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development-owned oil refinery, the development of the Dolisie dry port and planned corridor roads. A major dedicated minerals terminal is also planned for the port.