Balancing volumes continues to challenge logistics providers

The Walvis Bay corridor
has proven itself to be a
reliable, secure and costeffective
freight transport option
for all exports and imports in the
southern African region,” says
Pieter Greeff, managing director
of Manica Group Namibia.
“Cargo has been shipped from
Walvis Bay to the Far East in less
time and at lower cost than the
larger ports of Durban and Cape
Town,” he says.
The Walvis Bay corridors have
also attracted new shipping lines
to the port, which has led to new
cross-border partnerships and
international competitiveness for
the port, he added.
The Manica Group Namibia
provides full logistics support to
various Zambia-based industries
importing and exporting through
the Walvis Bay port.
“We are exploring partnerships
with other logistics agencies
that do not have a presence in
Namibia to provide clearing
and forwarding, shipping and
warehousing support from
Walvis Bay,” he said.
“The challenge is to balance
north- and southbound cargo
volumes in order to economically
benefit customers.
“This requires dedicated
supply chain solutions and
services, strategically combined
to adapt to a variety of
customers, products and freight
service demands,” Greeff told
FTW.
Manica is geared up to meet
the needs of the mining and retail
sectors in Zambia.
“Manica has been actively
improving and streamlining its
services to a one-touch freight
management solution. This
has involved consolidating
its warehousing facilities
and services, re-instating its
rail siding and platform at its
MLC warehouse, construction
of training facilities and the
introduction of a state-of-the-art
online track-and-trace system
to provide clients with peace of
mind about their cargo,” he says.
Manica is seeing signs of
the resurgence of the Zambian
agricultural industry, but southbound
volumes have not grown
at the same pace.
Greeff says there has been a
“marked increase” in the import
of trucks and heavy equipment
for the agricultural sector, “but
very little exports of goods and
produce from that country”.
He says Walvis Bay also
allows Zambian exporters to
diversify their market, which
at present is primarily China,
Korea, Saudi Arabia, and SADC
countries.
“If Zambia targets new
markets in the West, Walvis
Bay will be the most time- and
cost-effective option for exports,
especially to the Americas and
Europe.”
“Ample” warehousing space
for containerised, break-bulk and
other types of cargo, both bonded
and non-bonded, is available for
these exports.
Manica recently handled the
clearing and forwarding of the
bulk of a recent discharge of
more than 700 vehicles destined
for Zimbabwe, Zambia and
Botswana, and Greeff sees this
trend continuing.
“It is expected that the import
of vehicles will continue, albeit
at lower rates.”