TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
SETTING A COURSE FOR SUCCESS
International studies attest to the fact that Namibia has one of the best transport infrastructure systems south of the Sahara. The country’s two important ports, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, are connected to a system of asphalt roads and railway lines known as the Walvis Bay Corridors. These corridors direct the flow of goods inland from the coast, and then onward to neighbouring countries via the most direct routes possible. In this way, containers from the Port of Walvis Bay can travel to the industrial region of Gauteng in South Africa in just 48 hours, for instance. In practice, the Walvis Bay Corridors comprise a large regional market of approximately 300 million people.
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), a public-private partnership established in 2000, handles the logistics necessary for the efficient transport of goods. The organisation coordinates all transport routes throughout the Walvis Bay Corridors, standardises tariffs and guarantees that the required transport capacity is available. Port authorities, government agencies, haulage companies, railways and trade unions work hand-in-hand as part of the WBCG, providing suppliers and recipients with a central point of contact for any issues they may have. Currently, the Port of Walvis Bay is being expanded to include additional anchorage points and a new container terminal, which will increase the port’s cargo turnover capacity to 1.1 million TEU. The harbour’s premises will be expanded by 40 hectares, and the harbour basin will be made 14.4 metres deeper. Building on its successes, Namibia plans to carry out further infrastructure projects – and investors are encouraged to join in the process.
