MSC’s Angola service links Walvis Bay via the hubs of Lomé and Ngqura (Coega) to both the east and west.There are calls into guaranteed every three or four days through the rotation of five vessels from Lomé – Luanda – Walvis Bay – Coega – Cape Town – Lagos – Lomé.MSC has its own terminal in Lomé, from which it tranships to Europe and the Americas.Volumes through Walvis Bay are showing promising growth since the opening of the new container terminal, according to Waldi Schickerling, manager of the Namibian branch of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).“Our weekends are not the same because there is almost always a vessel calling.“The MSC Namibia policy is always to have support in the office for the vessel and shippers,” she says.Schickerling attributes the focus on personal service to the customer to the emphasis MSC puts on investing in its people.Once loaded it is 10-12 days from Europe to Lomé, and 10 to Walvis Bay.Schickerling believes more South African importers of time-sensitive cargo should be making use of the service.“We don’t have the delays that you see in Cape Town, where containers can be stuck for week s.”Departure times are assured through f ixed windows being allocated to MSC vessels calling on Walvis Bay
