DRC shows interest in Walvis Bay routing

EFFORTS BY the Walvis Bay Corridor Group to woo more regional traffic are paying off. Following a marketing visit by a WBCG delegation to Lubumbashi in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September last year, Katanga’s governor returned the favour recently – and he sees Walvis Bay as a viable alternative to traditional ports for loading and discharge. This is good news for Walvis Bay – Katanga comprises a consumer market of more than two million people in Lubumbashi while many new copper mines will be established in the short term. The WBCG estimates that copper exports from the region could reach volumes of more than 1 million tonnes per annum. The WBCG is planning a follow-up visit in the next two months.