Namibia’s intent to provide congestion-free alternatives for shippers in South Africa and elsewhere in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is steadily picking up pace with the news that a vessel filled with bulk raw minerals has departed from the Port of Lüderitz. According to Irvaan Maharaj of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), the shipment of 30 000 tonnes of manganese from Hotazel in the Northern Cape confirms that Namibia’s enhanced logistics sector “is open for business”. At a trade presentation at the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) last week, the new business development manager of the organisation overseeing Namibia’s hinterland freight interests said the successful shipment “is giving a lot of confidence to our manganese clients”. This is despite the fact that the Lüderitz line to Keetmanshoop and further east to Namibia’s border with South Africa has been dormant for at least 18 years. Yet the decision by Namibian rail parastatal TransNamib to refurbish tracks that had been covered by shifting desert sand, and to completely rebuild a section of line of at least 120 kilometres at a cost of R8 to R10 million per kilometre, is already standing that country’s logistics ambitions in good stead. The Lüderitz line, also referred to as the TransOranje Corridor, “is a very important gateway for us”, said Maharaj. “If we can market it as a zone that is free of congestion with quick turn-round times at the port we could attract more clients and hopefully secure more volume for this line.” As for marketing, it served WBCG’s cause well to look up old clients, even though Lüderitz had through the years lost traction as an export option for ore shippers forced to use South Africa’s clogged-up ports. “Our old clients were always part of our networking,” Maharaj said. “We kept them up to date with our engagements and would call them from time to time. Now, with the first vessel of manganese having left Lüderitz, we can only hope that it serves as a nudge for more shipments.” The momentum that Namibia has gathered to expand cross- and overborder use of its logistics sector was also clearly visible during the JCCI presentation. Although not focused on freight alone and the land- and port-side options it has to offer, there was strong interest among delegates attending the presentation. Several South African business representatives asked Maharaj for more information on ports like Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, especially the latter which has recently almost doubled its containerisation throughput thanks to port upgrades worth R4.2 billion. “We’re frequently approached by shippers interested in using our ports,” he said on the eve of attending a series of high-level meetings with existing and prospective partners in Botswana. “People increasingly want to know how they can freight goods in and out of the SADC faster.” And whereas de-clogging in ports like Durban could pose a threat to Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, Maharaj is certain that the inroads Namibia is making through muchimproved logistics capacity and capability will have longterm staying power. In respect of ore mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia and destined for markets in the Americas and Europe, WBCG appears determined to erode South Africa’s market share. “Using ports like Lüderitz and Walvis makes perfect strategic sense. We have been talking to copper interests in Brazil, which is just under 6000 kilometres away. Not only are we much closer than a port like Durban, but once vessels finally exit that port it will take at least a week longer at sea to reach South America.” –Eugene Goddard
INSERT: People increasingly want to know how they can freight goods in and out of the SADC faster. – Irvaan Maharaj