West Africa and Cape Town compete for repair business

Kevin Mayhew FOLLOWING A post-9/11 boom in passenger liner business that has gradually tapered off, Ocean Liner Services (OLS) has attended to ad-hoc vessels, maintaining a strong presence at Walvis Bay. Hardly ideal, says Manica’s general manager, Katja Glöditzsch, but it is enabling the company to ride out a relatively quiet period although some passenger liners visited last year and early this year. “On the repairs side we have also noticed a drop in demand. But that is more a case of geography where more convenient facilities in West Africa have resulted in some work that traditionally came to Walvis Bay, being routed there. There is also strong competition from Cape Town,” she says.