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.