Available capacity at the Port of Walvis Bay, currently operating at roughly 25% of its 750 000-TEU-per-annum potential, means volume growth is on the cards for one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most happening ports, said Reload Logistics. The distributor’s warehouse manager, Joël van der Waal, said the company already served several ports in the region, namely Beira, Durban and Dar es Salaam.But it’s at Walvis Bay that they are keeping a keen eye on potential volume growth.“The port is running fairly well and we’re happy with what we’re seeing. We have also taken notice of projected expansion plans at North Port (between Walvis and Long Beach) to accommodate landside support for offshore energy sector developments along Namibia’s coast.“This includes infrastructural developments related to green hydrogen plants that are in the pipeline,” he said.“It all bodes well for Walvis and we believe that it could very well become the port of choice in our region.”But there were a few provisos, Van der Waal said, primarily in relation to operating hours.“Unlike other ports, Walvis Bay still closes over weekends, so you can’t move any containers. If they extend operational output at the port – by adding more stacking days, for example – we should be able to not only increase volumes but also move containers faster.”Such changes will hopefully be seen once Mediterranean Shipping Company subsidiary Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) takes over operations at the port.It is widely anticipated among private-sector stakeholders that the TIL development will bring about the long-awaited take-up of cargo at Walvis Bay, saddled as it is with a port upgrade that has become a debt burden, ballooning from $3.5 billion initially, increasing to $4.2bn, and now apparently sitting at more than $5bn.THENAMIBIANLOGISTICSHUBINITIATIVETransforming Namibia intoan international Logistics Hub for the Southern Africa region. Switch to the ports of Walvis Bay & LÜderitz for the SAFE, SECURE & HASSLE-FREE arrival of your cargo.WBCG Head Office +264 61 251 669 | marketing@wbcg.com.na WBCG DRC +243 81 850 3241 | bdm@wbcg.cdWBCG South Africa +27 65 154 1906 | bdm@wbcg.co.zaFN9380WBCG Zambia +260 96 957 3349 | bdm@wbcgzm.comWBCG Brazil +55 11 2655 7301 | ricardo@wbcg.com.br Find us on: or visit our website: www.wbcg.com.naThe Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat has proposed a virtual queueing system to member states of the TKCS that will hopefully reduce waiting time at borders along the route through Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.This was revealed by Leslie Mpofu, executive director of the TKCS in Windhoek earlier this year.“If a transporter’s cargo documents are in order, a driver will be able to book his space at one of the border crossings without having to wait unnecessarily,” he says.But uninterrupted internet connectivity is crucial for such a system to work, and therein lies the rub.“At the corridor’s western crossing of Buitepos and Mamuno we haven’t got any issues, especially since the recent introduction of an ID-only thoroughfare for drivers registered in Namibia and Botswana.”Sadly, the same cannot be said for the eastern crossing of Skilpadshek on the N4 Platinum Highway in South Africa.“I was there recently and the problem is load-shedding,” Mpofu says.“When the power goes off, the border often doesn’t have enough diesel to keep its generator going, forcing border personnel and cargo clearing agents to revert to manual processes.”This can be confirmed, Mpofu says, by Mike Fitzmaurice, chief executive of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesar ta).As if it’s not bad enough that the border west of Zeerust is often affected by power utility Eskom’s forced power outages, officials at the border often feel unsafe after hours.“If the power goes off and there’s no fuel for backup power, there’s no light, so manual processes can’t be done, meaning the border shuts down. Also, officials are too scared to venture outside in pitch darkness in an area known for being rife with snakes,” Mpofu says.In recent times, Fesarta has also frequently warned about sporadic unrest along the N4 route in the Zeerust area, sparked by residents of informal dwellings protesting against a lack of service delivery.Leslie Mpofu, executive director of the TKCS.The Port of Walvis Bay’s new container terminal.
