Sungate project to create regional logistics hub

When it comes to the three major priorities for the success of any property development – position, position, position – the new Sungate project in Namibia has it all. Strategically located at Namibia’s Hosea Kutako Airport along the Trans Kalahari highway, the 650-hectare mixed-use property development is the first over-border venture by SA-based Accolade Properties. “Our vision is to establish a regional trade and logistics hub for sub-Saharan Africa,” Peter Collins, director: marketing of Accolade Properties Namibia, told FTW. “There has been a 150% increase in traffic on the Trans Kalahari Highway year on year over the past four years,” said Collins. “Currently freight is being transported via Walvis Bay to Gaborone, Johannesburg, Livingstone, Lubumbashi and Luanda. “Our ambition is to establish a dry port with degroupage and distribution facilities in addition to a tourism hub.” It’s the company’s first venture into industrial development and will follow its tried and tested formula of providing the bulk infrastructure in the form of roads, sewerage, power and the like and then selling off the erven to interested participants. “Situated 45km out of Windhoek, Hosea Kutako is the only place an international plane can land in Namibia,” said Collins. “And it’s the only airport in the world that doesn’t have infrastructure around it. We therefore identified a need for a development of this nature.” In May 2007 the council rezoned the area between Windhoek and the airport as peri-urban and this opened the doors for the creation of an industrial park and tourism hub. Construction is expected to begin in September. While logistics providers will begin operating next year, the facility will be complete in January 2011, creating 6000 jobs over the next 10-12 years. Collins firmly believes there is value in Africa. “Infrastructural development in Africa is the value for the next 25 years,” he told FTW, “and the long-term view always wins.” The Sungate trademark has been registered in all 15 Sadec countries. “We intend taking all our big brand names on this development. We have looked at sites in Livingstone, Nairobi and Rwanda.” While Collins was not at liberty to release the names of current stakeholders, he said agreements had been signed with a multinational mail and logistics distributor for sub Saharan Africa, hotel operators, a truck port, local logistics players, a car rental company and warehouse operators. “We have critical mass for Phase 1 and are forging ahead with our plans,” he told FTW.