Latching onto the benefits of the Walvis Bay Corridor

Hellmann Zambia is one of
the pioneers of the Walvis
Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi
Development Corridor
(WBNLDC), thanks to country
manager Vichaya Chungu’s
knowledge of the route.
Chungu headed up the
Lusaka office for the Walvis
Bay Corridor Group for five
years before joining Hellmann
to open the company’s first
office in Zambia.
For the first year the focus
has been on forwarding,
which is where the economics
major and MBA graduate
started her logistics career.
In order to make the route
cost-effective for Hellmann’s
clients, Chungu had to source
export cargo to ensure that the
trucks fetching goods from
Walvis Bay did not travel
down empty. A number of
products and commodities are
now being exported through
Namibia.
The benefits of using Walvis
Bay include shorter sea transit
times due to the efficiencies
of the port and better security.
“We are trying to get more
agricultural produce to send
out through Walvis Bay,” she
says.
The opening of the Walvis
Bay route gives exporters and
importers an alternative option
to Dar es Salaam, where
“truckers are having the time
of their lives and we have to
dance to their tune,” she says.
Durban and Dar es
Salaam are, however, more
competitive and a better
choice in many cases.
Hellmann Zambia is also
well positioned to help move
the freight as the group has
offices in both the South
African and Tanzanian ports.
“All our offices are
networked, and we can track
shipments throughout the
sub continent and the rest of
Africa,” she says. Hellmann
has offices or representation
in most African countries.
Having the network in place
also makes it easier to quote
rates, and to plan shipments.
Some breakthroughs are
being made in the promotion
of intra African trade, with
Kenya now moving cargo into
Zambia.
Chungu says companies
that realise that Africa is as
much an export destination
as the East, Europe or the
Americas may be surprised
by the potential of their home
market.