Manica Namibia is investing in warehouses in order to help attract more cargo to both the Walvis Bay and Lüderitz corridors, says managing director Ralph Ruiters.He told Freight News that Manica had identified the need for warehousing capable of storing 100 000 tons and more of cargo in Walvis Bay.Manica is in the process of building a 150 000-ton warehouse on the quayside in Lüderitz Bay to handle manganese.Plans for the Walvis Bay warehouses are expected to come to fruition within the next two years.“In order for Walvis Bay to establish itself as the preferred port gateway for Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we need more warehouse facilities,” he says.Ruiters’ confidence that there is sufficient demand is based on the enquiries that Manica is receiving.“We have studied the market and understand the challenges faced by shippers through other ports like Dar es Salaam, Beira and Durban.“Walvis Bay and the corridors provide a solution.”Ruiters urges shippers and agents to visit Walvis Bay to see for themselves.“When we host people from South Africa they cannot believe what they see. “It is very different to their perceptions or what they knew a few years ago. Walvis Bay is now a modern port.”He is also very confident that manganese volumes through Lüderitz can meet a target of over two million tons a year.“We are investing in state-of-the-art equipment that will allow us to be competitive over the long term with existing export terminals in Gqeberha and Saldanha.
