“Traditionally Walvis Bay has not been seen as an export harbour, but we are slowly changing that perception,” says Abel Pienaar, manager of A van der Walt Transport Zambia.
The resulting imbalance in loads can be turned to the advantage of shippers as there are highly competitive rates on the return leg, and the port of Walvis Bay is one of the most efficient in the region.
A decision by the Namibian port authorities to allow ammonium sulphate imports through the port of Walvis Bay will increase the number of loads heading north, which in turn will add more capacity to the return leg.
Pienaar says exporters often do not realise that lines calling on Walvis Bay serve both the easterly and westerly routes.
While it takes longer to sail from Walvis Bay around Cape Point to the east, there are time savings on the landside leg, as well as lower transport costs. For freight heading to Europe and the Americas it has the fastest transit times in the region. Established in Zambia five years ago, A van der Walt Transport has its workshop and Zambian headquarters in Ndola.
The facility also has reefer plugin points to allow drivers to ensure that the cargo stays within the set temperature range. Trucks are also held in Ndola if there are delays at the Kasumbalesa border post between Zambia and the DRC.
A van der Walt started by specialising in the movement of frozen chicken and fish from Walvis Bay through to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has since expanded into general cargo in addition to the refrigerated loads.
Cargo includes copper, cement, chemicals for the mines and machinery. A sideloader has been added to the fleet, which provides greater flexibility for shippers and freight forwarders as the company can now load and offload containers.
Security for both drivers and cargo has been improved through the deployment of in-vehicle camera systems which record what is happening in the cab, as well as on the road around the trucks, all of which are new Scanias.
“All our drivers have undergone training and have Scania rating. The combination of skills development and the use of technology is working well,” he says.
INSERT AND CAPTION
A Namport decision to allow ammonium sulphate imports through Walvis Bay will increase the number of loads heading north. – Abel Pienaar
