Namibia is gradually
making inroads as more
and more cargo owners
realise the benefits of an
alternative trade route for southern
Africa, says Johny Smith, CEO of
the Walvis Bay Corridor Group
(WBCG).
He said it had been a long road
convincing industry – especially in
South Africa – of the viability of the
Walvis Bay corridor and the Port of
Walvis Bay.
“Our biggest challenge has been in
changing the mindset of people. We
are now starting to see people giving
it a go,” he said, citing one example
where it took three years to convince
a customer to use the Port of Walvis
Bay for his cargo to Zambia.
“He finally decided to give it a go
and has seen major benefits as it
has cut down his cargo movement
by fourteen days between Europe
and Lusaka. The biggest benefit for
him is simply that he has better cash
flow as his cargo is moving faster,”
said Smith. “We were convinced
of the benefits of Walvis Bay as
an alternative trade route from
the start – hence our investment
in the corridor and the ports, but
convincing the
industry at
large has been
exceptionally
challenging.”
Despite this
the corridors
between
Namibia and
its neighbours,
South Africa,
Botswana
and Angola,
have seen
fundamental growth in recent years.
The country has also undertaken
to create dry ports for
landlocked countries such as
Botswana and Zambia as
added incentives for cargo
owners to use Walvis Bay.
“Major investment into
transport and logistics
infrastructure continues
as the country puts in
motion its plan to be a logistics hub
in southern Africa by 2025,” said
Smith.
“Our strategic plan has
been to ensure regional
integration. We believe
we can grow trade within
the region significantly
and offer a viable, wellconnected
entrance into
southern Africa for
traders.”
He said while
shipping lines
calling at
Walvis Bay did
not necessarily
offer the variety
of other ports
currently in
the region,
this was a
changing
landscape
as well.
INSERT & CAPTION
A Zambian shipper has seen
major benefits in using
Walvis Bay as it has cut
down his cargo movement
by fourteen days between
Europe and Lusaka.
– Johny Smith
