Independent stevedoring company marks a decade

Namibia’s only independent stevedoring company is celebrating a decade of growth both in the port, fishing factories and at remote sites where heavy lifting expertise is needed. Founded to provide a “one-stop” service to the fishing industry in Walvis Bay, Namibia Stevedoring Services (NSS) has grown to be the biggest stevedoring company in the country, according to managing director and founder Willem Derks. “We handle about 90% of the ro-ro cargo and containers that are loaded and unloaded in Walvis Bay,” he says. Services include handling project and transit cargo for Namibia and neighbouring states. This includes chemicals, vehicles, perishables and machinery for the Zambian and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) markets. NSS also stuffs and de-stuffs containers. It is able to offer all-inclusive rates for both imports and exports, according to marketing and business development manager Pieter Louw. Third parties are used to provide specialist services such as clearing and forwarding, with full transparency on the costing provided to the client This includes shipping, total port charges, and transport to or from the site. NSS stevedores also handle the lifting of heavy equipment on site for the mines and other large installations. Being a local, owner-managed company means that NSS is able to “make a plan”. Where necessary the company adapts existing equipment or designs new equipment and procedures to handle out-ofgauge- cargo and to improve efficiency, according to Derks. A recent lift involved the offloading of a 45-ton telescopic unit for an oil rig. Two ships’ cranes were used in tandem to pick up the 40-metre-long component. With a permanent staff of 100 and a pool of 160 trained casuals, the company is able to provide services 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Cargo is offloaded or loaded as soon as a vessel docks, with the NSS team able to handle the loading and lashing of containers and over-height, overwidth cargo. “We believe that we have the best skills and capabilities in the port of Walvis Bay and are able to handle all types of cargo that move through the port. But, more important than that is the chemistry we nurture within our teams and with our customers,” says Derks.