ARISE Ports and Logistics

Championing Africa’s maritime development

Arise PL

Logistics Feature

Championing Africa’s maritime development

PROJECT DIRECTED BY

WRITTEN BY

Malvern Kandemwa

Jay Benmehidi

Arise PL

F

rom smartphones to coffee, bananas and cars, petroleum, microchips, metals and minerals, trillions of dollars worth of goods and commodities are carried by sea from where they are produced to where they will be consumed, as part of a vast maritime trade network that underpins our modern, globalised world.

The topic of maritime trade is high on the economic agenda for most nations in a global context, but for the economies of Africa – a region which relies upon seaborne trade for 90% of its imports and exports, ensuring access to the world’s arterial sea lanes is a matter of existential strategic urgency.

Since the turn of the millennium, the continent has enjoyed something of a Big Bang period of socio-economic development, which has lifted millions out of poverty and into the burgeoning consumer class. However, for Africa to maintain the robust growth and diversification its countries have become accustomed to over recent decades, and play a greater, more meaningful

role in world trade going forward, its governments must continue to attract investment into modernising its port infrastructure.

However, as Andrew Dawes, CEO of Arise Ports & Logistics, acknowledges, achieving this objective isn’t without its hurdles: “We have investors and capital, but both are lacking overall in Africa. Samaila Zubairu, CEO of AFC, a shareholder of ours, has said that the risk perception in Africa far outweighs possible risks. We have been in with our partners for many years and understand it. With the right partners coming together, we will enable infrastructure growth. However, there is a huge gap to be filled.

There are multiple examples of large new port projects that allow deep water access. Many promises have been made over the years, but they are slow to materialise. Hurdles and risk perception have held many investors back. However, we are focused specifically on this region and already have a strong pipeline of investment opportunities in just one year and a half.”

Andrew Dawes CEO, Arise PL

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Moves a lot.

Changes everything.

Arise PL

Logistics Feature

In-line with the strategy of its parent company, Arise Group, Arise Ports & Logistics is focused on building and executing large-scale infrastructure and logistics assets to address the infrastructural shortcomings that threaten to put the brake on Africa’s long-term growth prospects. In only a few years, the port and logistics business has expanded its footprint across the western coastline, to the extent that it operates ports and logistics infrastructure projects including a mineral port and general cargo port in Gabon, a cargo port in Mauritania and a bulk port in San Pedro, Côte d’Ivoire.

Despite its success, however, the company hasn’t lost sight of its roots. As a proudly pan-African company that is as committed to supporting the continent’s economic development as it is to creating wealth, Arise PL has built a reputation for being a positive force in the West African that is well-earned: “Arise was conceptualised and established in Gabon. The original founders of the company saw opportunities within the country to support and enable economic growth and diversification by partnering across many market sectors. Today, Arise Ports & Logistics aims to become one of Africa’s leading operators of ports infrastructure and providers of logistics solutions. Our shareholders AP Moller Capital, Olam International and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) share an aligned view on our investments. They are all focused on investing in infrastructure in West Africa. AFC has a proven track record of supporting investments of this type in the region.”

Wedged between Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo on the continent’s central-western coastline, Gabon has for some time been a bastion of stability in a neighbourhood where conflict and unrest is not uncommon. This climate of political calm, combined with the country’s rich deposits of precious metals, extensive oil reserves, and sustainable lumber sector, has seen Gabon emerge as one of the region’s socio-economic success stories.

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Today, Arise Ports & Logistics aims to become one of Africa’s leading operators of ports infrastructure and providers of logistics solutions.

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Suffice to say, this backdrop has created the perfect space for Dawes and the Arise PL team to invest, and invest they have. In partnership with Gabon’s government, with whom the company has fostered a healthy, positive relationship, Arise PL has greatly expanded its operations in the company over the past few years. On this, Dawes expanded: “We currently operate the Owendo Mineral Port in Gabon, which in just a few years of operation we have transformed from an empty beach to an asset capable of handling over 5 million tons a year. In 2017, we inaugurated the New Owendo International Port, which was designed to significantly expand the import-export capacity of Gabon and provide our shipping and industrial customers with some of the most modern and interconnected infrastructure anywhere in the region.

We recently launched our new five-year strategy and investment plan, which looks to add another 50-100 percent capacity with new players, minerals and commodity types. Economic growth outside of traditional commodities such as oil and gas has enabled substantial economic diversification in Gabon. We are listening to the government’s development goals and are exploring ways to support their projects even further. We can be an economic infrastructure enabler that ensures there are no bottlenecks. We support the growth of existing operators and enable new companies to enter the market.”

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We support the growth of existing operators and enable new companies to enter the market.

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Arise PL Not that Arise PL’s expansion has been limited only to Gabon – far from it. In-line with the company’s mission to drive development and stimulate growth in the areas where they do business, Dawes and his team have been active across the West African coast, most notably in Côte d’Ivoire where the company is developing the port of San Pedro – a cutting-edge, modern facility that will greatly enhance the country’s maritime infrastructure and capability going forward.

“The Multipurpose Industrial Terminal of San Pedro (TIPSP) has already received its first two brand new mobile cranes at the cutting edge of port handling technology. TIPSP is the result of a public-private partnership that is developing a logistics infrastructure essential to the economic growth of the Greater West region. With the support of Arise Ports & Logistics, the Port of San Pedro will now have a new infrastructure whose competitiveness and quality of service will meet the highest standards. We will continue to develop projects that contribute to the development and integration of the African continent. This is the essence of our DNA: contribute to building an Africa that is ever more integrated and open to the world.”

He concluded: “We are proud to be in Africa and proud to partner with governments and our shipping and industrial customers. It has been a tough year for everyone but we look forward to continuing this journey that we started a year ago. We aim to see positive footprints left behind when we look back five years from now on our operations and the development of local communities, industries and new economic players.

We see a bright future of growth throughout West Africa. San Pedro is just our next step; more is to come.”

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This is the essence of our DNA: contribute to building an Africa that is ever more integrated and open to the world.

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