ZAMBIAN SHIPPERS have started using
Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay as a means to
escape congestion at Durban port, and Manica
Group Namibia is positioned to take advantage
of the new business.
In a development that no doubt will be
good news for the Namibian Ports Authority,
which has worked hard to encourage Zambian
use of Walvis Bay, Patrick Kohlstädt, logistics
manager for Manica Group Namibia, said: “It’s
the congestion at Durban that is the problem.
The traders are telling us this. They need their
merchandise to fill their store shelves and they
don’t want delays or interruptions.”
Even the Zambia/Namibia border post is
helping. In a showing that puts other SADC
border posts to shame, truck passage is thirty
minutes, both sides.
“It’s smooth sailing,” said Kohlstädt.
Cargo into Zambia is primarily fast-moving
consumer goods – “furniture, towels, toilet
paper, everything the traders need to keep
their shelves stocked, and they don’t want any
interruptions.”
For the Manica Group, business is up this
year, to Zambia and in general.
At Walvis Bay the firm recently purchased
a large warehouse facility to expand storage
capacity with another 15 000 m2 under roof.
MACS offers one southbound and one
northbound sailing every 10 days at Walvis Bay
while MSC also calls, but not on a regular basis.
To and from the US, GAL provides a regular
monthly service. There are also feeder lines to
South Africa, Angola and West Africa.
For Manica Group Namibia’s Zambian
business, the future looks bright. “When you
consider the activity going on in the mines in
Zambia and DRC, there will be spillover from
the traditional routes through Dar es Salaam
and Durban,” said Kohlstädt.
Like general goods shippers, however, it
may be that once Zambian ore exporters
discover Namibia’s ports, they may stick with
the less congested facilities, which are also
geographically closer.
Lack of congestion entices Zambian shippers to Walvis Bay
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