A decision by Konkola Copper Mines to route its copper through Walvis Bay is a major breakthrough for the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor, according to James Kaposa, business development manager – Zambia of the Wa lv i s Bay Corridor Group (WBCG).Around 105 000 metric tons of southbound copper will be moved through the corridor. The decision is described by Gilbert Boois, project manager for the WBCG, as a “game changer in terms of the volume of cargo carried on the route”. Greater southbound volumes will help balance the loads and support the use of Walvis Bay for imports of chemicals and other freight bound for Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Boois, who is responsible for overseeing the rollout of the Namibian logistics hub project, says the resulting investment in facilities, equipment and vehicles will support the transformation of the corridor from being a transport route to one which includes value-added logistics services. Kaposa is confident that the port of Walvis Bay will be able to handle the additional volumes.“Zambian importers and exporters are being encouraged to make use of the Walvis Bay corridor, which is one of the safest corridors in the region,” he says. “It is the only port in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region which is congestion-free. Walvis Bay has the capacity to handle 750 000 TEUs a year through the new container terminal that was commissioned in August 2019.“Walvis Bay has all the facilities necessary to handle growing volumes of Zambian imports and exports.” This includes sulphur, which can provide a return cargo for trucks carrying copper from Zambia. “The sulphur facility is now fully functional at our port, and has handled over 100 000 metric tons for Zambia and the DRC since it started operating in 2020.” Volumes of frozen chicken and fish being transported to Zambia and the DRC are growing once again, according to Kaposa. The Zambian government has lifted a ban on fish imports and the Namibian government a restriction on the transit of poultry products. “Volumes on the corridor have grown over the past three months and the indications are that the momentum will be retained as the Zambian government is allowing companies to import fish on a quota basis.” Investment in facilities, equipment and vehicles will support the transformation of the corridor from being a transport route to one which includes value-added logistics services.– Gilbert Boois“
