WELCOME TO THE PORT OF WALVIS BAY
Strategically located half way down the coast of Namibia, with direct access to principal shipping routes, Walvis Bay is a natural gateway for international trade.Walvis Bay is Namibia’s largest commercial port, receiving approximately 3,000 vessel calls each year and handling about 5 million tonnes of cargo. It is a sheltered deepwater harbour benefiting from a temperate climate. Fortunately, no delays are caused by bad weather.In order to deal with even higher levels of throughput, Namport have steadily improved its cargo-handling facilities, and remains committed to infrastructure development, in line with Namport’s Mission to provide efficient and effective port and related services.
Container Terminal Our container terminal at the port of Walvis Bay can accommodate grounds slots for 3875 containers with provision for 482 reefer container plug points.
The container terminal can host about 250, 000 containers per annum, therefore various business development opportunities are being undertaken to facilitate imports and export containers at this Port.

BACKGROUND
From the official opening of the Trans-Kalahari Highway in 1998, which forms the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, the Logistics Corridors connecting the Port of Walvis bay to the rest of Africa have grown at an incredible rate. In 2000 the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) was established to act as a service and facilitation center to imports and exports via the Port of Walvis Bay for the SADC region (Southern African Development Community).
The WBCG’s main competitive strength is its Public Private Partnership (PPP) setup of transport and logistics stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. This allows for the pooling of resources, expertise and authorities from both the regulators and the operators. WBCG is able to lean on the public sector for advice and action on issues such as customs, transport regulation and infrastructure development, while the private sector can focus on business development such as marketing and making practical operational proposals and logistics solutions. Both arms give input into the training of personnel, institutional development and infrastructure development.
Regional support to ensure harmonization of standards, allowing for the smooth flow of trade between borders, is ensured the establishment of regional committees and partnerships with regional bodies. The WBCG, for example, is made up of Namibian, Botswana and South African government and private sector representatives.

WALVIS BAY CORNER
James Muyanwa wrote about the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) in his column ‘Walvis Bay Corner’ which appeared every week in the Times of Zambia newspaper. Here, in his final column, James recaps the history and achievement of the WBCG project. FOR the last 12 weeks on Walvis Bay Corner, we have extensively covered various issues relating to the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) but, as they say whatever goes up, must someday surely come down, and I am, hence signing off.

In concluding, I want to focus on the history and achievements of the WBCG, the sponsors of this 13-week column. The feats are quiet many and, therefore, I am not expected to exhaust them, otherwise, we will need a fresh column span. It suffices to state that the WBCG has come a long way but I will focus more on the achievements made on Trans-Caprivi Corridor, under which Zambia falls. The WBCG origin can be traced back to 1998 when the Trans-Kalahari Highway, which forms the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, was officially opened. In 1999, the Trans-Caprivi Corridor was opened on the Trans-Caprivi Highway and in 2000, the WBCG itself was established, coupled with the completion of the port development programme and deepening of the Port of Walvis Bay to 12.8 metres.

In 2001, the Northern Railway Extension Project along the Trans-Cunene Corridor, from Tsumeb to Oshikango, which is Namibia’s border post with Angola, commenced.
Other achievements in that year were the establishment of the trilateral Trans-Kalahari Corridor Management Committee and the extension of the border operating hours between Namibia and Botswana. A year later, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) pilot project for the transportation of goods in transit on the Trans-Kalahari Corridor using new SADC customs procedures was implemented.

WBCG commenced the trilateral Trans-Kalahari Corridor development programme and established the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor Committee under which Zambia falls.
The Automotive Industry Development Centre of Gauteng, South Africa inspected the Port of Walvis Bay and Trans-Kalahari Corridor.
Some of the achievements for 2003 were the establishment of the WBCG HIV/AIDS Help Desk, signing of the cooperation agreement with the German Government Development Cooperation Agency.
In 2004, the Katima Mulilo Bridge was commissioned across the Zambezi River, connecting Namibia and Zambia on the Trans-Caprivi Corridor, while the customs procedures were harmonised using the Single Administration Document.

Further, the Maersk introduced a new direct service from South America to the Port of Walvis Bay with Namport doubling container throughput and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor utilisation increased to 60 per cent. The WBCG was selected as a model corridor arrangement on the African continent by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In 2005 the UNCTAD convened first bilateral cluster meetings between Namibia and Zambia and the Trans-Caprivi Corridor carried its largest consignment to date of 3,000 tonnes of rice. The following year saw the Namibia and Zambia border posts being automated using the Auto-mated System of Customs Documentation (ASYCUDA++) system and the WBCG opening the first branch office in Lusaka, Zambia.

The World Food Programme sent 8,050 tonnes of food to Zambia via the Trans-Caprivi Corridor in which the Maersk provided a direct service from the Far East to the Port of Walvis Bay.
The first export consignment of beans from Tanzania via Trans-Caprivi Corridor was made through the Port of Walvis Bay with the same corridor carrying a consignment of vehicles from the Port of Walvis Bay to Malawi and Namport installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Port.

WBCG HIV/AIDS Help Desk launched the HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy in 2007 as the Group embarked on a study to analyse the transport industry’s value chain.
The group launched the Road Safety and Security programme on the Walvis Bay Corridors with the Trans-Caprivi Corridor carrying its largest consignment unit, a 49-by-4.5-metres wide container to Zambia through the Port, while the WBCG held its first awareness meeting in Lumbumbashi to promote Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor.

In 2008, the Port of Walvis Bay announced plans to expand the port and to develop a new container terminal with new direct service between Canada, USA and Walvis Bay coming in and the Trans-Caprivi Corridor carried the heaviest consignment consisting of eight abnormal loads plus 15 x 40′ containers through the Port of Walvis Bay.

The Trans-Caprivi Corridor further ferried the most complex consignment of 3600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate through the Port from Russia to Zambia and made the first copper export from Copperbelt. Axle load limits were harmonised between Namibia and Zambia while the first ever publication of the WBCG was launched. In 2009, the first shipment from Malawi via the Port of Walvis Bay was made and the Walvis Bay Corridor posted the highest volumes yet carrying more than 55 000 tonnes in a month while a three-day transit period from Walvis Bay to Zambia on the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor was recorded.

An MOU between Namport and the Zambian Government was signed on Zamibia Dry Port at the Port of Walvis Bay with a new border facility having been completed at Wanela, the Namibia-Zambia border.
The DRC, Namibia and Zambia concluded the official signing of the MOU on the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor Management Committee (WBNLMC).For last year the WBCG & North Star Allaiance opened the second Roadside Wellness Centre at Roads Authority Weighbridge in Katima Mulilo with the motor vehicle volumes through the Port of Walvis Bay rising to record level.
The WBCG Mobile Wellness Clinic was officially launched, while Africa’s largest packaging company Nampak used the Port of Walvis Bay and the WBCG received financial assistance from the Embassy of Finland.

In closing, I would want to pay tribute to you the readers for supporting this column, and the WBCG staffers like, Andrew Sinyangwe, Maria, Sophia and Agnetha for their cooperation. Special mention goes to my former boss Chishimba Chishimba for the encouragement and guidance, my new editor, Ben Phiri and all the colleagues who played some role in ensuring this column came out every Wednesday. Above all, I am indebted to the editorial leadership for allowing me to undertake this column. To all the readers, I say look out for another interesting column on this space soon!