By: Nghiinomenwa Erastus
Security incidents and congestion at some ports, has created an opportunity for Namibia ports as alternative routes to the world and to trade with Africa
Explained the Walvis Bay Corridor Group’s (WBCG) Mbahupu Tjivikua, this week as he hosted a Zimbabwean delegation.
He said the main objective of the visit was to explore the port of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay Corridors as an alternative trade route, Zimbabwe has been using the traditional routes via ports in South Africa and Mozambique for its external trade.
The delegation to Namibia was led by executives from BAK Logistics, they conducted business to business (B2B) meetings, toured the Zimbabwe Dry Port as well as the Port of Walvis Bay and its facilities.
BAK Logistics is one of the largest logistics service providers in Zimbabwe, and has various partnerships that enables it to have an international reach
According to Mary Machigaidze, the managing director of BAK Logistics, the purpose of the visit is to engage the Namibian business community to explore opportunities and the viability of using the port of Walvis Bay as an alternative.
Secondly, the Zimbabwe Dry Port facility which was allocated to them back in the early 2 000 for exports and imports to and from Zimbabwe.
“We are targeting increased trade with Namibia through strategic partnerships with local companies in the transport and logistics sector, and we are confident that our engagements will yield positive outcomes,” she said.
The latest trade statistics (November 2021) for Namibia as presented by the Namibia Statistics Agency shows Zimbabwe only counted for 0,5% (N$43 million) of Namibia exports.
While for imports Namibia only bought N$6 million worth of goods by end of November 2021, while for October 2021, Namibian imported N$112 million worth of goods from the landlocked country.
The use of the Port of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay Corridors is expected to significantly cut costs for goods coming and going to Europe and the Americas, the corridor assessment revealed.
Importers and exporters can either use the Walvis Bay Corridors via the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC) into Zimbabwe or the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) via Botswana.
According to the Tjivikua, the disruption in the regional supply chain due to the security incidents and congestion at some ports, has created an opportunity for the Walvis Bay Corridors to increase transit cargo via the port of Walvis Bay and our Walvis Bay Corridors.
“Our corridors are the safest, secure and most efficient trade routes for exports and imports in the SADC region,” said Tjivikua.
Zimbabwe is part of the three landlocked nations, together with Zambia and Botswana that were graced with dry ports at Walvis by the Namibian government back in the early 2 000. Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na
