The Port of Walvis Bay has been nibbling away at the copper export market and the latest records show that it has been handling increasing volumes of copper since April last year, according to Agnetha Mouton, business development officer of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG). It has been biting chunks out of the traditional routes for copper exports from the Copperbelt region in Zambia and the DRC, which have historically exited through the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Durban. “But,” said Mouton, “since 2004 the Port of Walvis Bay has established a direct linkage to the Copperbelt and the DRC markets, providing shorter transit times. “The transport of goods from the port to the Copperbelt is on average 4-5 days by road – with only a single border crossing at Katima Mulilo in Namibia.” The highway that forms the Trans-Caprivi Corridor (TCC) has played a distinct role in the fast linkage of Walvis Bay, Zambia and the DRC, she said.
