Customs clearance can present a logistical nightmare

Be it vehicles, household products, food and alcohol or construction goods – Angola is in need of it all. And therefore offers a huge opportunity to companies willing to tackle the long road to Luanda. “Angola is growing in terms of cargo movements with cross-border traffic into the country showing significant growth both for consolidations as well as full truckloads,” says Nafatali Kamati of Transworld Cargo “There are some challenges though in this process as cross-border transport into Angola is not as simple as it may seem. There are additional procedures at the borders to be considered to ensure that the truck is not delayed. Therefore, uninterrupted information and communication flow and paperwork must be 100% to avoid trucks standing at the border for several days.” Kamati says the clearing of trucks through the border post can be a logistical nightmare for inexperienced service providers undertaking the route from Namibia to Angola resulting in huge delays and increased logistical costs. “Many of the border posts have insufficient facilities and often lack the necessary skills required to provide an efficient service for smooth cross-border operations. “An advantage, however, remains the major need for goods in the country. And the proximity of Namibia makes it an ideal country to service the need.” With the main exit point for export to Angola being Oshikango, Walvis Bay has become the most important entry point for imports to Angola in recent years, says Kamati. “Namibia has an excellent working relationship with Angola, an important strength that will allow for more opportunities.” Kamati says the Oshikango border post, especially, is ideally situated to improve the relationship between the two countries as transport by road from Walvis Bay to destinations in southern Angola can be carried out more quickly and on shorter notice and with more flexibility than by sea. “Business in southern Angola will be able to react quickly to market fluctuations to get away with less storage capacity and hence with less locked up capital. In the light of the frustrating and time-consuming procedures to clear goods in Luanda, this border post could be used to even service a far greater area of the country if road conditions improve.” Kamati says the repair and construction of railway lines in Angola, related to the envisaged links of Namibian and Angolan railway lines, bodes well for the future.