Uncorking bottlenecks on Trans-Cunene Corridor to attract more Angolan cargo

The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) is working with the public and private sectors of Namibia and Angola in order to speed up the flow of cargo along the corridor from the port of Walvis Bay to Angola, according to Agnetha Mouton, marketing and communications officer at the WBCG. This comes in the face of a drop in volumes along the route due to a combination of the upgrading of the port of Luanda, as well as regulatory changes on the Angolan side. A more efficient Luanda is the port of choice for freight owners as it reduces transport costs. The Trans-Cunene Corridor links the Port of Walvis Bay with southern Angola up to Lubango, over a distance of 1 600 kilometres. However, the WBCG sees a continuing role for the Trans- Cunene corridor to serve southern Angola. “We are continuously engaging in opportunities to constantly create awareness of the Trans-Cunene Corridor with the transport community in Angola. “We are also in the process of facilitating a transport forum that comprises members from the public and private sector from both Angola and Namibia to improve the flow of transport along the corridor at the border post between Angola and Namibia. “Bottlenecks affecting the flow of cargo at the border posts will be addressed to improve the efficiency of transporting goods along this route,” she says. The drop in volumes along the Trans-Cunene corridor will be made up by growing traffic along the other corridors, according to Mouton. “At the end of the day, it boils down to the quality of service you get from an organisation,” she says. Efficiencies could come from the completion of a rail link from Walvis Bay to the Angolan Border. At present the line runs from the port of Walvis Bay to Ondangwa in the Oshana region of northern Namibia. The extension of the line to Oshikango on the Namibian- Angola border is expected to be completed by the end of this year. It will connect to the Angolan road network, which is being rehabilitated along the Lubango-Santa Clara road, which is an extension of the Trans-Cunene Corridor.