Luderitz develops into fully fledged international port
A MINE in the south of the country and a huge textile mill in the east have given new dimensions to the planning of the two harbours which serve Namibia's improving economic status.
Luderitz, for years little more than a haven for fishing vessels, is now a fully fledged international port of call, with vessels bringing in huge quantities of materials for the Skorpion mining development at Rosh Pinah to the south of the town.
It has required a new quay which has been built in the harbour and an enormous warehouse is under construction to handle the mine's export production once this starts later this year.
Now partnerships are under negotiation for
the development of cold stores in the harbour to serve the growing supplies of fresh produce from the northern Cape passing through Luderitz on the way to European markets.
Walvis Bay has blossomed from a mere service port for Namibian requirements into a hub for distribution of a variety of goods to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), an option strengthened by the deepening of the harbour two years ago to allow larger international vessels to berth there.
The textile industry, which is developing in the capital of Windhoek, will increase cargo volumes once this is up and running in the final quarter of this year and the port is gearing up to handle this expected export growth.
Walvis Bay is also attracting growing interest
from major manufacturing regions such as Gauteng in South Africa, where exporters are finding that the efficient TransKalahari Highway, developed under the guidance of the Walvis
Bay Corridor Group, has demonstrated that it not only allows for quicker delivery times to European destinations, but is also a viable alternative to South Africa's congested ports.
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has been a prime mover in
the development of the Corridor Group, realising it is tied into the development of this facility which provides a fast trucking service between Namibia and the industrialised sector of Gauteng. Goods
off-loaded in Walvis Bay harbour are railed to Windhoek for trucking in an operation that is guaranteed to provide a 48-hour service from ship to consignee's door.
Two years ago Namport was judged the most progressive harbour authority in Africa following research by a US study group into all harbours around the continent, an acknowledgement of the tremendous progress made by the authority which was established only after Namibia, and later Walvis Bay, gained their independence from South Africa in the past decade.
