Namibia looking to become SADC gateway

Research conducted by the
WBCG has shown that the
country is well positioned
to transform the vision
of being the preferred
gateway for SADC into a
reality, according to Clive
Smith, logistics hub project
manager for the Walvis Bay
Corridor Group (WBCG).
“The eastern route
through Beira, Nacala
and Dar es Salaam is
perceived by shippers
to be under-developed
and unpredictable while
the South Africa route
is saturated with South
African demand and suffers
from chronic congestion
and delay,” he says.
“Walvis Bay should be
the first port of call from
Europe,” contends Smith.
The WBCG logistics hub
was created to support the
Namibian government’s
vision to transform the
economy by turning the
country into a “logistics
nation” by 2025.
Investments in port, road
and rail infrastructure will
help the country to build on
the foundation created by
the Walvis Bay Corridors.
This traffic was created
from a zero base.
“We aim to claim a
sizeable share of the
regional market,” he says.
Land has been acquired
for the planned expansion
of the port, and the focus
is now on improving rail
and air connectivity to the
rest of the sub-continent
and its nearly 300 million
consumers.