Namibia has fallen short of its goal to establish itself as a regional logistics hub by 2025, as outlined in its Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4).
In response to this setback, authorities are now reviewing the country’s master plan following significant delays in critical sectors, including rail, aviation, and regulatory infrastructure.
The original phased approach aimed for significant expansion by 2020. However, as Gilbert Boois, Project Manager for the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, explained, “We are now in 2025, and I can assure you we are not there yet.
Therefore, we are in the process of revising the master plan, because several essential developments are still pending.”
Boois particularly highlighted the poor state of Namibia’s railway infrastructure and stressed the need for major improvements in the aviation sector to meet logistics hub standards.
Building a successful logistics hub requires multiple interconnected components.
“First and foremost, you need to have an efficient port,” Boois stated.
He further emphasized the importance of a strong intermodal setup, integrating road and rail networks, border infrastructure, and a supportive regulatory and policy framework.
Namibia’s logistics corridor network was designed around four main routes: three connecting through Walvis Bay and one through Lüderitz.
These corridors link Namibia to key regional markets, enabling the transport of commodities such as copper, fertilisers, and consumer goods.
“Logistics is fundamentally a volume game. It’s about how you drive volumes to achieve economies of scale,” Boois added.
The governance structure for the logistics hub project includes the Cabinet, steering committees, and mixed-sector working groups, ensuring comprehensive oversight and strategic coordination.
“In 2015, we launched the logistics hub project on behalf of the Namibian government. It’s not our project; it’s a government project that we are implementing,” Boois explained.
The project’s first phase, called the ‘Transport Corridor,’ focused on removing bottlenecks in the logistics chain and aimed to boost Namibia’s transport capacity by 2.5 times by 2020.
The second phase, known as the ‘Economic Corridor,’ sought to transform Namibia into a regional supply and distribution centre, supporting the broader Vision 2030 goal of economic industrialisation.
While progress has been made—particularly in port infrastructure—critical gaps remain in rail, border facilities, and aviation development.
Currently, private sector operations in logistics corridors function under a landlord model, which may limit the flexibility needed to accelerate growth.
As a result, coordinated investments and strategic planning are urgently needed if Namibia is to revive its ambitions of becoming a leading regional logistics hub.
