Exports of salt through the Port of Walvis Bay are growing once again after a shake-up caused by fallout from Covid-19 during 2020.According to TrendEconomy, Namibian exports of commodity group 2501 (table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride totalled $30 million in 2020 – 6.61% or $2.17m less than the 2019 total of $32m.The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) reports that salt exports through Walvis Bay increased by about 14.5%, or just over 20 000 tons year-on-year between April and July 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.During the four months Namport recorded a combined total (bagged and bulk salt) of 160 186 metric tons of salt exported via the Port of Walvis Bay to various destinations.The exports are mainly from Walvis Bay Salt Holdings, the largest producer of solar sea salt in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the compa ny. Its facility in Walvis Bay processes 90 million cubic metres of sea water a year to produce in excess of 900 000 tons of salt for human consumption and for the chemical industry. Export destinations include China, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, and Europe, according to official statistics.
