1. To begin, could you give us an overview of SMMC’s role in Madagascar’s maritime and logistics ecosystem?
I’m the Director General of SMMC, the Conventional Merchandise Maintenance Company operating within the port of Toamasina, also known as Tamatave. The company was created in 2007, and I’ve served as DG since late August 2018. Since April 2023, we have also been the port authority in Vohemar (Vohémar), a strategic port in Madagascar’s northeast.
Inside the country’s main maritime gateway at Toamasina, SMMC is essentially the port’s “strong arm” for all non-containerized cargo, everything that does not move in a box. That means breakbulk and roll-on cargo such as vehicles; and bagged or palletized imports like cement, rice, sugar and flour. On the export side, we manage the loading of palletized lychee bound for Europe and Russia, one of Toamasina’s flagship seasonal exports.
In 2024, our total throughput reached nearly 1.12 million tonnes, up 38.7% year-on-year. Those numbers underline SMMC’s central place in Madagascar’s port logistics. We are proud to be both a pioneer and a major player. Institutionally, we are part of the wider family of the Association Internationale Villes et Ports (AIVP) and of PAMESA, the Port Management Association of Eastern & Southern Africa, and we are preparing to join the Indian Ocean islands’ ports association (APIOI) as well.
2. What modernization and transparency initiatives has SMMC undertaken in recent years to improve performance?
Since 2019 we’ve posted exceptional growth and strengthened our position as an engine of the real economy. That rests first on trust, from blue-chip clients in strategic commodities, international cement importers, and the country’s automobile distributors. You’ll recognize names like Ocean Trade, Madaoto, CFAO, Sodiat and others. Their confidence pushes us to constantly upgrade.
Concretely, we’ve been renewing equipment and overhauling processes. We’re in the final stretch of ISO 9001 certification, and across the business we are dematerializing documents and digitizing workflows to strip out administrative friction. The goal is simple: faster, cleaner, more predictable port operations that everyone can rely on.
3. How are you using digital tools and “smart logistics” to optimize cargo handling and trade facilitation?
Before “smart,” you need flow. So we started by designing the infrastructure of the future. A flagship initiative is our dry-port project to decongest Toamasina, the country’s main port, and speed up inland logistics. On the quay, we’ve modernized handling gear and operational systems, all with the same objective: make cargo movements safer, quicker and more transparent.
We’re also in feasibility and design for an ecological bulk hopper (“trémie”) dedicated to cement operations. Today, too much bagging slows the chain. A modern, enclosed hopper will enable cleaner, faster VRAC (bulk) handling that reduces dust and loss, and improves turnaround times. In parallel, we are preparing to install on-site solar power. That is both a statement, our commitment to sustainable, profitable growth, and a practical way to green our footprint while improving resilience.
4. Coordination among actors is always crucial in ports. What mechanisms are you putting in place with customs, the port authority, shipping lines and other stakeholders?
Our ISO push goes hand-in-hand with building shared digital rails. SMMC’s IT team is working with customs and the port authority, as well as shipping agents and terminal stakeholders, to finalize an intranet-style platform for Toamasina. It will streamline operational messaging, slotting, pre-advice, gate moves and release/clearance notices so cargo exits are synchronized and visible to customers in near-real time. The principle is one team, one timeline, fewer phone calls, fewer delays.
5. Infrastructure upgrades are essential for competitiveness. What investments are you leading to modernize facilities and expand national capacity?
In the northeast we serve as port authority at Vohemar, which sits in Madagascar’s vanilla heartland. Vanilla is a national flagship export, so Vohemar is strategic. We’re executing a program of renewal and rehabilitation there, alongside studies with the Maritime and River Authority for a broader extension: longer quay, expanded yards, larger storage and maneuvering areas. In tandem, we’re implementing the technical and security standards needed for formal recognition as a fully compliant port installation, strengthening the export chain from plantation to ship’s rail.
These investments matter beyond the quay wall. With growing interest from Gulf investors and business leaders, and more demanding service level expectations, ports must rise to meet international benchmarks. Our dual skills as a stevedore/operator in Toamasina and a port authority in Vohemar give us a 360-degree view to design and deliver those projects effectively.
6. People run ports. How are you building skills and multi-disciplinary teams to meet international standards?
Our wealth is our people. We invest in continuous training at every level, from general management down through department heads, service chiefs and “pointeurs,” to equipment operators, security staff and technicians. A special focus is multi-skilling dock workers so we can flex teams as volumes shift. The objectives are safety, speed and quality. The outcome is competitiveness, within Toamasina, across Madagascar and in the Indian Ocean region.
7. How do you see SMMC’s leadership helping integrate Madagascar into regional trade across the Indian Ocean and African markets?
A port is an ecosystem. SMMC’s value comes from how we connect that ecosystem, port authority, municipal leaders, traders, logistics providers, national government, the Transport Ministry and maritime regulators. We convene, align and execute. There are standing coordination meetings, especially with the port authority linked to the Ministry of Finance, because customs revenue and facilitation must advance together. When all actors pull in the same direction, ships turn faster, importers and exporters win, and Madagascar becomes a more reliable node in regional supply chains.
8. Our audience is particularly interested in GCC–Africa corridors. Are you exploring strategic partnerships or technical cooperation with Gulf countries, especially the UAE, to reinforce port infrastructure, logistics know-how or investment flows?
Absolutely. The new Emirates air link is a real signal of the times. For us, it’s a gateway: SMMC’s role is to translate that air connectivity into maritime commercial success. The global economy is shifting, and SMMC is adapting with it. We’re open to strategic and financial cooperation with partners from the Gulf. The opportunity is to match investment appetite and technical expertise from the UAE with Madagascar’s real economy, ports, logistics platforms, export corridors, so we create shared value on both sides of the Indian Ocean.
9. You offered a striking line during our conversation. Could you restate it for our readers?
SMMC doesn’t just move cargo. We secure and accelerate our partners’ return on investment in Madagascar.
10. Finally, what message would you like to share with Khaleej Times readers about SMMC’s vision and its role in strengthening Madagascar’s position as a trade and logistics hub?
Think of us not merely as a service provider but as your on-the-ground strategic partner. We curate investable projects for stakeholders who are seeking value with impact. Our expertise is recognized beyond Madagascar; for example, our cooperation with Tanger Med, one of the world’s leading port complexes, on implementing a modern hopper solution underscores credibility through action. If you are looking for a trusted operator to co-design and deliver the next generation of port and logistics assets in Madagascar, SMMC is ready to build with you, sustainably, efficiently and to international standards.
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