Multi-purpose facility helps Walvis Bay diversify

Having established one of the first multi-purpose container yards capable of handling both reefer and dry cargo in Namibia, Savino Del Bene is now focusing on skills development and capacity building in order to raise its levels of service, according to branch manager Sue Wood. The Namibian head office is based in Walvis Bay. “We believe our multi-purpose facility is unique in Namibia. It caters for refrigerated and dry cargo in a single facility, while at the same time running and managing the MSC empty container yard in Walvis Bay,” she says. The facility offers 2 000 sqm of under-cover bonded warehousing space. It is designed for the cross-docking of cargo from containers into storage or straight onto trucks in order to save on demurrage, she adds. Built to handle corridor traffic, the warehouse facility has diversified into providing support for the mines and other economic sectors inside Namibia itself, as well as mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mines are large consumers of refrigerated and chilled cargo because of the large numbers of workers, managers and their families who need to be fed in remote locations. “One of our focus areas is reefer cargo. However we continue to diversify and have handled copper and the related bulk chemical traffic, second-hand vehicles and specialised equipment,” she says. The advantages of the facility are that it is close to the port, and it’s “not difficult to sell Walvis Bay to shippers as a primary transit point,” she adds. For cargo in and out of Namibia and its neighbours to the north and east Walvis Bay is “cheaper, faster and safer” than Dar es Salaam, the South African and Angolan ports, she believes. Savino Del Bene Namibia is using its global network to introduce and promote Walvis Bay to its customers in Europe and the Far East. It is also working closely with Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) to promote and expand the route. The Italian company’s Namibian operation is expanding its range of services in order to support cargo growth through the port and along the corridors. “We now have in-house skills to operate as a liner agency, as well as customs clearing,” she says. INSERT & CAPTION We are also trying to encourage traffic from the Americas. Walvis Bay is only seven days’ sailing from Sao Paolo — which is considerably shorter than Durban or even Cape Town. – Sue Wood