Beira, Mozambique
The British South Africa Company had a concession from the Portuguese government to build a railway from Dondo, Mozambique on the main railway line from Beira, Mozambique to Rhodesia. In 1912 the Nyasaland government agreed to give financial assistance to British South Africa Company to build the Central African Railway from Nsanje, the southern terminus of the Shire Highlands Railway to the north bank of the Zambezi at Chindio. This line was completed in 1914 and, at first, river steamers went from Chindio to Chinde on the Indian Ocean. From Chinde, the sea-going lighters continued to Beira, Mozambique. It took two to three weeks to move goods from Blantyre to Beira, involved three transhipments and exposed goods to the risk of water damage.