Maersk will have three new services connecting Walvis Bay to Asia from May 2014. “We will therefore have four main liner services and will continue the feeder service product ex Lüderitz into and out of Walvis Bay, with no changes to our current Lüderitz offering,” says Maersk Namibia managing director Robert Maslamoney. The new Asian services will support growing trade between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Asia, he added. “Asia continues to grow as a trading partner with most of Africa and we see similar trends in Namibia and the landlocked countries. “Our enhanced product offering on the Namibia to/from Far East services will enable us to deliver enhanced reliability through additional corridors, as well as greater f lexibility in our network. “The overall import market is growing at a healthy level and we want to ensure we are able to serve this market in the most efficient manner as well as grow with demand,” he said, adding that Maersk supports the positioning of Walvis Bay as a regional hub by the Namibian government and Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG). “Namibia, and in particular the port of Walvis Bay, is well located geographically to serve SADC countries and is also able to provide good connections, in particular into Europe, Mediterranean and the Americas versus the use of neighbouring ports,” he says. And Maslamoney believes regional economic dynamics are supporting both imports and exports. “Despite a weaker Namibian dollar against the US dollar we continue to see a growing import market. This is very encouraging for us. “On the export side we see the reverse where the market is currently not strong and volumes down year on year. “We see more and more focus being put on serving the landlocked countries and governmental bodies,” he says. There are, as always, challenges: “The rising cost of doing business in Namibia remains a challenge. “Overall rates are def lating to a degree where any upside in volume due to organic growth does not offset the steep decline in rates as well as the increasing costs of doing business in the country. “This is very concerning since the business we are in is an asset-heavy one where margins are low and any deterioration in rates coupled with increasing costs has significant impact on our profitability. “It is key for us to continue making decisions with the future in mind and creating value for our customers and becoming more than just a supplier. “As a going concern there is always a delicate balance to ensure that with all the investments we make we are still able to continue our activities in a sustainable and profitable way while serving the client in the best manner possible,” he says. INSERT & CAPTION Overall rates are deflating to a degree where any upside in volume due to organic growth does not offset the steep decline in rates. – Rob Maslamoney
