Walvis Bay corridors will continue to grow - Woker

Efficiencies offered by the Walvis Bay corridors and the port of Walvis Bay itself will attract cargo back to the routes believes Philip Coetzee, general manager of Woker Freight Services in Walvis Bay. He was commenting on a decision by some traders and mining houses to route copper exports via Dar es Salaam and Beira rather than Walvis Bay. This is creating challenges for hauliers who have full loads going north to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but have trucks waiting in those countries for freight for the return leg. “These are natural cycles in the market. Woker understands this and ensures that it does not over-commit to any route or commodity in order to be able to provide reliable and sustainable service to all its clients,” he says. The company has also extended its reach beyond the borders of Namibia and is now handling cargo routed through other ports in the region. “We select the most costeffective solution for our clients,” says Coetzee. Woker provides customs clearing and forwarding for the importation and exporting of all cargo types via air, sea, rail or road. Coetzee is confident that ongoing investment in the port of Walvis Bay – including the building of the new container handling facility – will soon see trucks running full on both legs. “When the traders calculate the cost of the inefficiencies in the other harbours, and the logistics chains serving them, they will be back. Even without the new berths Walvis Bay offers the most cost-effective gateway for regional exports and imports of most types of cargo,” he says. INSERT & CAPTION “When the traders calculate the cost of the inefficiencies in the other harbours and the logistics chains serving them they will be back. – Philip Coetzee