TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS Walvis Bay Corridor Group PROFILING THE GROUP region and for the growth of the private sector and which without such collaboration we will not reach the full potential of efficient and effective trade routes. OUR MEMBERS Namibia Logistics Association (NLA); Namibian Ports Authority (NAMPORT); Walvis Bay Port Users Association (WBPUA); TransNamib Holdings; Container Liners Operators Forum (CLOF) Walvis Bay Municipality; Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI); Ministry of Finance: Department of Customs; Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development: Investment Centre; Ministry of Works and Transport: Department of Transport; Roads Authority; Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration: Department of Immigration, Air Namibia and the Namibia Transporters Association (NATA).
Mr Johny M Smith Chief Executive Officer
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), a Public Private Partnership (PPP), was established in the year 2000 as a service and facilitation centre to promote the benefits of using the Walvis Bay corridors through the Port of Walvis Bay to and from southern Africa. We have to continuously identify opportunities, plan, coordinate, market, advocate for infrastructure development and facilitate trade. It is therefore apparent that this unique institutional arrangement as a PPP is a perfect example of how Government and the private sector work together to create an improved relationship to integrate business potential and utilise transport and trade opportunities to create wealth in the region and beyond which is incredibly important for economic development within the
TRANS-KALAHARI CORRIDOR The Trans-Kalahari Corridor links the port of Walvis Bay to Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, the heartland of South Africa’s industrial capital, Gauteng and Zimbabwe. It is perfectly positioned to service the two-way trade between South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Europe, the Americas and the Far East. This corridor allows for 48 hours’ transit to and from Gauteng. The WBCG has opened up a second support office in Gauteng, South Africa, to promote the Trans-Kalahari Corridor for the Gauteng and Bostwana markets. WALVISBAY-NDOLA-LUBUMBASHI CORRIDOR (WBNLDC) (AKA TRANS-CAPRIVI CORRIDOR) The WBNLDC provides the shortest route between the Namibian west coast Ports of Lüderitz and Walvis Bay and the vital transport hubs of Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola in Zambia, Lubumbashi (southern DRC), and Zimbabwe. This corridor is perfectly positioned to service the two-way trade between the SADC region and Europe, North and South America and emerging markets in the East.
The WBCG has established a branch office in Lubumbashi, DRC as well as a representative office in Sao Paulo, Brazil and therefore the footprint of the WBCG has been extended to four offices beyond the borders of Namibia, which include Lusaka, Zambia since 2005 and Johannesburg, South Africa since 2008. TRANS-CUNENE CORRIDOR The Trans-Cunene Corridor links Walvis Bay’s port to southern Angola via Tsumeb and Ondangwa to Oshikango in Namibia and the Santa Clara border post in Angola. It is perfectly positioned to service the two-way trade between Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Europe, the Americas and the East with the rail line that has been completed up to the Angolan border this year. REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERSHIPS Regional support to ensure harmonisation of standards, allowing for the smooth flow of trade between borders, is ensured through the establishment of regional committees and partnerships with regional bodies, under which the Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat is made up of Government and private sector representatives from Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. The Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor Management Committee, which is a partnership between DRC, Namibia and Zambia, was established to address problems, which could impede the smooth movement of goods across the borders along the Walvis BayNdola-Lubumbashi Corridor. Namibia has realised that the role of transport and logistics has become increasingly important to accelerate the growth of the region’s economy. In an effort to further support the acceleration of corridor development, the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development in
Namibia with the support of the Department of Trade in South Africa has mandated the WBCG to identify ways of attracting investment along the Walvis Bay corridors through the Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) programme. The SDI programme aims to increase the scale of economic activity and improve the diversity of economic activity along these corridors, thereby enhancing the economic growth of the region. The initial focus in terms of economic activities will be on the mining, tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries and logistics sectors. Namibia has an important role to play in that the Port of Walvis Bay is strategically located on the West Coast of Africa serving as a strategic link to southern Africa to more than 350 million consumers. With Walvis Bay now firmly established as one of the major entry and exit point to and from Southern Africa, the WBCG is continuously seeking ways to take the corridors to greater heights to maximise the social and economic benefits for Namibia and for the Southern African region as a whole.
Walvis Bay Corridor Group Mr Johny M Smith Chief Executive Officer P O Box 25220 Windhoek Tel +264 61 25 1669 Fax +264 61 25 1683 marketing@wbcg.com.na www.wbcg.com.na
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