Copper for Far East tries Walvis Bay route

Trial shipments of copper
bound for the Far East
are being exported
through Walvis Bay in order
to demonstrate the advantages
of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-
Lubumbashi Development
Corridor, says Andrew
Sinyangwe, the Zambian
business development manager
for the Walvis Bay Corridor
Group (WBCG).
This is in addition to growing
volumes of copper bound for
Europe being transported along
the corridor. “Recently we had
buyers from Germany who gave
strict instructions that the copper
had to be shipped through
Walvis Bay,” he says.
Volumes are up to 2 000 tons
of copper a month bound for
Europe, and Sinyangwe believes
there is potential for much more,
with the main stumbling block
being an empty return leg.
“Zambian truckers want back
loads,” he says.
Zambian companies are the
preferred transporters for the
mines.
Sinyangwe has been working
with the contacts he made and
using the knowledge of the
mining industry he gained while
working on the Copperbelt prior
to joining the WBCG in order to
find solutions.
One is to route the importation
of chemicals, equipment and
other supplies needed by the
mining industry through Walvis
Bay.
Mines in both Zambia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) are conducting transport
risk assessments on the Walvis
Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi corridor
in order to avoid the congestion
at other ports in the region.
“We are talking to the business
people in the DRC as well.
At present their imports from
Belgium, for example, come
through Durban. By using
Walvis Bay they knock off
12 to 14 days’ sailing time,
in addition to having a shorter
road leg,” he says.
He is so confident of the
route that he plans to take the
business leaders on a road trip
from the DRC to Walvis Bay
to experience the corridor for
themselves.
Investment in the corridor
has seen the roads, border posts
and bridges upgraded, while
a joint task force is looking at
ways of streamlining customs
procedures.
The introduction of a direct
service between Walvis Bay
and the East means that the
port can be used for exports to
the Americas, Europe and the
Far East. Rates to the East are
very competitive, according to
Sinyangwe.
The WBCG has also been
working with the Zambian
Food Reserve Agency to export
surplus maize through Walvis
Bay. “We have had two bumper
crops, and are exporting to
Angola and other African
countries.
“The same has happened with
wheat. Zambia produces some of
the best wheat in the world, and
we are exporting it to Europe,”
he says.
Another agricultural export
going through Walvis Bay is
tobacco from Malawi.
“Even though Malawi is much
closer to the east coast, exporters
have found that Walvis Bay
offers lower overall costs and
transport times,” he says.