Walvis Bay Corridor Group Consults Namport and Logistics Stakeholders to Strengthen Namibia’s Regional Trade Corridors
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has concluded a three day high level stakeholder engagement in Namibia’s Erongo region, aimed at strengthening coordination with transport and logistics partners and addressing operational bottlenecks along the country’s key trade corridors.
The consultations were led by Acting Chief Executive Officer Edward Shivute, who underscored the importance of structured dialogue with industry players to improve corridor performance, infrastructure utilization, and cross-border efficiency.
Addressing Bottlenecks in Critical Trade Routes
The engagement focused on identifying emerging industry trends, operational constraints, and infrastructure gaps affecting Namibia’s strategic transit corridors. By directly consulting freight forwarders, port authorities, and logistics operators, WBCG seeks to develop targeted interventions that enhance cargo movement and reduce delays.
Shivute emphasized that resolving inefficiencies along Namibia’s corridors is essential to maintaining competitiveness in regional and international trade.
“Our mission remains clear: to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of our corridors,” he said, noting that stakeholder consultations are critical for aligning corridor management with private sector and regulatory requirements.
Collaboration with Namport and Industry Operators
During the engagement, WBCG met with representatives from the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport), as well as freight forwarding and logistics firms operating across Namibia’s trade routes.
Feedback gathered from these sessions will inform the development of the WBCG Strategic Framework for 2026–2031. The framework is designed to optimize Namibia’s transport and logistics infrastructure, which has recently handled cargo volumes exceeding 2.5 million metric tonnes.
The strategy aims to enhance corridor efficiency, strengthen multimodal connectivity, and ensure that infrastructure investments align with projected growth in regional trade flows.
Reinforcing the Public-Private Partnership Model
As WBCG prepares to enter a new five-year strategic cycle, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
This collaborative approach promotes solution-oriented engagement between government agencies and private sector stakeholders to drive economic growth and regional integration.
WBCG also announced plans to expand stakeholder consultations to other regions, ensuring that industry feedback is incorporated into national planning priorities, including those outlined in Namibia’s National Development Plan 6 (NDP6).
Supporting Namibia’s Regional Trade Ambitions
The latest engagement reinforces WBCG’s objective of positioning Namibia as a preferred trade gateway within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
By proactively identifying operational pain points and strengthening collaboration across the logistics value chain, WBCG aims to deliver efficient, reliable transit solutions that support growing regional and international trade volumes.
As trade demand increases across Southern Africa, the effectiveness of Namibia’s corridor infrastructure will remain central to sustaining its competitive advantage as a logistics hub.
