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.