Satisfied Zambian customers spread the word on Namibian ports

JUNE MARKED a special milestone in Zambia’s use of the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia. For years imported goods destined for Zambia and the DRC have made their way through the facilities of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport). But it was always a one-way affair. Goods came in, but nothing came out, at least via Walvis Bay. “We received our first export shipment from Zambia last month. It was marked general goods,” said Windhoek-based Walvis Bay Corridor Group CEO Johny Smith. Namport is one of the founding stakeholders of the Walvis Bay Corridor Development Group, tasked with raising awareness of Namibia’s seafreight facilities. The firm’s office in Lusaka has been credited with business going westward to Walvis Bay rather than south or east to other nations’ ports. Smith said that Namport’s marketing strategy targeting Zambia had reached its final level, phase three. “Phase one was an awareness campaign started in 2004 to tell Zambian shippers that they have in Walvis Bay an alternative to other ports. Phase two we called ‘proof lies in the pudding,’ when Zambian users saw how expertly their shipments were handled at Walvis Bay,” Smith said. Larger ships dock at berths 1-3, which have been dredged to a depth of –12.8 metres CD. Berths 4-8 have a depth of –10.6 metres CD. Vessels of 2400 to 3000 TEUs can be accommodated – comparable to the ports of Cape Town and Durban. “Phase three is ‘word of mouth,’ when customers are so satisfied with the service at Walvis Bay they are telling other shippers. We have asked Zambian shippers how they have come to use our port, and they say they were recommended by other shippers in Zambia,” Smith said. Imports destined for Zambia that pass through Walvis Bay are mostly consumables – goods destined for shops and wholesalers. “There are also a lot of vehicles from Asia that are brought in for Zambia through Walvis Bay,” Smith said.