Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project

Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (Malawi)

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Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring on the Nacala and Beira Corridors

The Nacala Development Corridor Management Committee (NDCMC) is a tripartite committee being established by the Governments of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

The purpose of the NDCMC is:

  1. Facilitating the provision of safe, cost effective and efficient movement of goods and persons,
  2. Developing, improving and maintaining the infrastructure and services of the Corridor, and
  3. Collaborating on trade and transport facilitation and other development issues

The NDCMC is developing corridor performance indicators to measure and monitor the performance of the Nacala and Beira corridors in order to assess progress in achieving its objectives.  This effort is part of the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project through financial support from the World Bank.

The team that developed the indicators looks forward to continued collaboration with all corridor stakeholders and appreciates any form of assistance from the stakeholders in providing required data with the aim of effectively measuring and monitoring corridor and NDCMC performance against set goals and objectives.

Note:  These indicators will provide baseline values so that trends can be monitored with the annual or semi-annual collection of new data.  New indicators will also be developed.

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1. Volume Indicators

Volume of trade handled through the ports of Nacala and Beira (Metric Tonnes).

Trade Volume

Total annual volume of trade through Beira and Nacala ports in 2021:

Beira Nacala
Exports
5,641,360
721,370
Imports
7,830,880
1,701,585
Total
13,472,240
2,422,955
1st January – 31st December 2021.    Source: CFM (top) MRA, based on border volumes (bottom)

Annual volume of trade through Beira and Nacala to or from Malawi in 2021:

Beira Nacala
Exports
296,474
77,164
Imports
662,808
23,790
Total
959,282
100,954
1st January – 31st December 2021.    Source: CFM (top) MRA, based on border volumes (bottom)
TEU Container Throughput

Number of containers clearing the port in a specified period (TEUs).

Beira Nacala
International Cargo destined to/from Mozambique
132,532
64,599
Corridor Cargo (Malawi and Zambia)
70,620
4,943
1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: CFM.
Non-Containerized Cargo

Cargo shipped as bulk, breakbulk, large equipment, etc. (Metric Tonnes).

Beira Nacala
International Cargo destined to/from Mozambique
4,768,500
1,496,630
Corridor Cargo (Malawi and Zambia)
1,699,790
283,300
1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: CFM.
Number of Businesses

Total number of Malawian businesses using the Nacala and Beira Corridors.

Beira Nacala
Exports
178
37
Imports
2,623
53
1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: CFM.

2. Time Indicators

Ship Turnaround Time

Time from ship’s entry into the port to departure (days).

Beira Nacala
Coal Terminal (TCC8)
1.7 days
Fuel Terminal
18.2 days
4.5 days
Container Terminal
5.1 days
1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: CFM.
Container Dwell Time at the Port

Time from the time exports pass through the port gate until it is processed and loaded on the vessel. Time from import container offloading from the ship until it is processed by required regulators and exits the port gate (days)

Export from Nacala port
20 days
Import through Nacala Port
32 days
1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: CFM.
Corridor Travel Time

Average cargo travel time from Nacala and Beira ports to Blantyre (days). Delays include borders and check points

Beira Nacala
Travel time without delays (one way)
1.5 days
1.3 days
Travel time with delays (one way)
3.1 days
2.6 days
August 2022. Source: Interviews of transporters of Road Transport Operators Association (RTOA) and clearing and forwarding agents of Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association of Malawi (CAFAAM)
Average Processing Time for Malawi Imports or Exports

Average time to complete transit formalities at the port and border in Mozambique as well as transit and import clearance formalities in Malawi. Average time to process exports at the Blantyre Inland Clearance Station and border checks in Malawi as well as transit formalities at the border and port in Mozambique. (days, hours and minutes).

Muloza /Milange mwanza /Zobue Dedza /Calomue
Average time to process Malawi imports [Definition: Mozambique transit formalities; Malawi transit and import clearance formalities]
6days 0hr 1min
5days 4hr 3min
5days 8hr 6min
Average time to process Malawi exports [Definition: Malawi inland export formalities and border check; transit and port formalities in Mozambique]
5days 14hr 40min
4days 16hr 32min
4days 16hr 7min
May and June 2021. Source: Malawi Revenue Authority and MCNET Single Window
Average Time to Clear a Border Crossing

Decrease is measured by number of hours required to complete all formalities on both sides of the border upon arrival at the first border, including wait time and documentation time. (days, hours and minutes)

Muloza /Milange mwanza /Zobue Dedza /Calomue
Average time to clear border crossing (import) [Definition: Acquit transit from port; process transit to inland center for import clearance]
10hr 45min
1hr 10min
3hr 44min
Average time to clear border cross (export) [Definition: Check export docs and seal; initiate transit to port]
4hr 55min
2hr 22min
2hr 12min
May and June 2021. Source: Malawi Revenue Authority and MCNET Single Window

3. Cost Indicators

Decrease in Logistics Costs of Containerized Imports/Exports $ per Ton at destination (Percentage)

Reduction in the percentage of logistics costs for defined baskets of imported or exported products on the Nacala/Beira Corridors to/from Blantyre by road/rail as a percentage compared to the invoiced cost, including insurance and freight (CIF for imports) and (FOB for exports).

The logistics costs in this baseline will be monitored each year to determine reductions achieved in the share of logistics costs in the invoiced commercial value.

Sub-indicator Logistics cost per container (US$) Logistics cost per Tonne (US$) Percentage of invoiced commercial value
Logistics cost of containerized imports from Nacala to Blantyre by Road (percentage)
5, 064
191
23%
Logistics cost of containerized imports from Beira to Blantyre by Road (percentage).
5, 264
199
24%
Logistics costs of a bulk import from Nacala to Blantyre by Rail (percentage).
-
226
23%
Logistics costs of containerized exports from Blantyre to Beira by Road (percentage).
5, 075
192
26%
Logistics costs of containerized exports from Blantyre to Nacala by Rail (percentage).
3, 797
143
18%
May and June 2021. 1st January to 31st December 2021. Source: Malawi Revenue Authority and clearing and forwarding agents of Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association of Malawi (CAFAAM).

4. Other Indicators

Corridor Safety

Number of fatalities caused by crashes on Nacala Corridor.  Includes only persons dying at crash site.

Road fatalities
133
Railway fatalities
11
May and June 2021. CORRIDOR SAFETY Number of fatalities caused by crashes on Nacala Corridor Includes only persons dying at crash site. Road fatalities 133 Railway fatalities 11 1st January – 30th June 2022. Source: Malawi Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety and Department of Railway Services in Ministry of Transport and Public Works, National Institute for Road Transport (INATRO) and CDN-Corrdeor de Desenvolvimento do Norte for the railway.
Climate Resiliency

Roads on the Nacala Development Corridor rehabilitated and/or upgraded to national climate resilience standards (kilometres).

Total distance in kilometres of roads on the Nacala Corridor rehabilitated or upgraded to climate resilience standards
0 km
May and June 2021. 31st December 2021. Source: Malawi Roads Authority and ANE - National Road Administration in Mozambique.
Cargo Overload Controls

Percent of overloaded cargo vehicles as a share of total cargo vehicles weighed on the Nacala and Beira Corridors.

Beira Corridor
5.4%
Nacala Corridor
1.9%
1st January – 30th June 2021. Source: Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services in Malawi and ANE - National Road Administration in Mozambique. Location of weighbridge: Muloza, Lirangwe, Mwanza, Balaka, Dedza and Mchinji in Malawi; and Mussacama, Maue, Inchope 1 & 2, Vanduzi and Mandimba in Mozambique.
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