The Mining Pulse: The Supply Chain Diagnostic – Port Congestion, Permits, and Freight

In this episode of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Bonique, Group Commercial Services Manager, and Dexter, Director at TradeStream. Together, they run a complete diagnostic on the state of African logistics, trade finance, and supply chain operations.
While the global appetite for African mining expansion is massive, the infrastructure required to support it often lags behind. Our guests break down the realities on the ground, revealing the severe bottlenecks, port constraints, and hidden financial risks that operators face when moving cargo across the continent.
Key Diagnostics Covered in This Episode:
• The Road Freight Reality: Why 80% of trade into regions like the DRC still relies on roads, and the impact of 7-day border queues at Kasumbalesa.
• Border Integration: Unpacking the delays at Beitbridge caused by unintegrated government agency systems on the South African side.
• Sea Freight Constraints: Comparing the smoother West African shipping routes to the heavy congestion in East African ports like Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.
• Logistics Pricing: Understanding the 70% fixed vs. 30% variable cost structure, and why container demurrage penalties can exceed $4,000 to $5,000.
• Incoterm Dangers: Why assuming a CIF contract protects you is a dangerous game that can wipe out project profit margins once the cargo hits the vessel.
A special thank you to our episode sponsor, Africa Mining IQ. Subscribe today to stay on the pulse.