Zambian office promotes exports from Walvis

ED RICHARDSON “WE ARE determined to prove that if Walvis Bay works as a port of entry, then exports should work as well,” says Clive Smith, line manager: logistics and agents for the Manica Group. Manica is the MACS agent in Namibia, and an office has been opened in Zambia to help promote Walvis Bay as an export harbour. Smith says Walvis offers a number of advantages as an export hub. The first is competitive freight rates as many trucks return empty along the Caprivi Corridor. Then the port itself is efficient and has capacity, with regular calls from lines serving Europe and the Americas. The addition of new cranes means that it can handle loads of up to 145 tons over a reach of 15 metres. Facilities within the port include reefer plug points. Manica handles up to 40 export reefer boxes a month, mainly to Spain. “The port authorities are also very flexible and will keep stack dates open as long as possible,” he says. His next target market is Botswana. With fast transit times along the Trans Kalahari Corridor, Smith believes that Walvis Bay is a natural port for imports and exports from Botswana to Europe and the Americas.