More than 30 000 tonnes of cargo was transported through the Walvis Bay corridor in Namibia by March 2016 as the corridor positions itself as a strategic port for Zambia’s trade.
Walvis Bay Corridor Group chief executive officer, Johny Smith, said that the volume imports into and exports from Zambia have continued to increase over the years as a result of the easy connectivity to the trans-Atlantic market.
Smith added that the cargo transported through the corridor includes copper, second-hand vehicles, agricultural products, equipment, paper products, consumables, frozen fish, chicken, meat and furniture.
“Being land-linked, Zambia has many alternative routes but the Walvis Bay corridor is a reliable route, due to efficiency. The construction of the Sesheke Road in Western Province will further enhance efficiency as transit time between Namibia and the Copperbelt Province will reduce,” he said.
The corridor remains key to the advancement of Zambia’s economic diversification because it provides easy connectivity for the transportation of agro-produce to the region and beyond as well as transportation of equipment to advance manufacturing.
Mr Smith continued stating that the Walvis Bay Corridor Group is undertaking various expansion initiatives to enhance efficiency. The projects include the establishment of dry ports in Zambia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. Others involve the completion of railway links to neighbouring countries, truck stops and port expansion.
“The Group is also looking for investors to invest in transport and logistics firms as it aspires to become the most preferred logistics and distribution hub,” Smith concluded.
