Namibia InfrastructureNamibia infrastructure is rated as one of the best in Africa. Namibia’s harbors, airports, railways and roads are being expanded and upgraded to accommodate an increasing influx of trade and economic activity into the country. In doing so, the government plans to elevate the status of the country as an economic hub of Africa and Europe, and ease the flow of goods between Namibia and its neighbours. Namibia HarboursThe port of Walvis Bay is bursting at its seams with containers stacked everywhere. The increased activity at Walvisbay, one of the two ports in Namibia, also comes from a recent closure of neighbouring Angola’s port in Luanda, which is under repair for several months. Walvisbay is a favoured entry port to the 14 member block of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), from where containers are transported by road on Namibia’s Trans-Kalahari and Trans-Caprivi Highways to Botswana and further to Gauteng Province in South Africa, cutting transport time by ten days to 19 days.
To facilitate cargo transship for neighboring Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Namibia recently offered the land-locked countries the opportunity to lease land on which to construct their own dry port and storage facilities at Walvis Bay. The dry ports are aimed at increasing interregional trade as SADC moves towards a common market. A SADC free trade area commenced in 2008 and a SADC customs union will follow in three years time. In particular, Zambia and Botswana have realised that transshipment through Namibia is much shorter. The Walvisbay Corridor Group (WBCG) which markets the regional Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi and Trans-Kunene (to Angola) transport and logistics corridors has opened a branch office in Johannesburg, South Africa and an office in Lusaka Zambia. Namibia AirportsA major upgrade of Walvis Bay airport (11 km east of the city) will offer a widened and lengthened runway, and air traffic systems. It will allow for the landing of wide-bodied/large cargo carriers and commercial aero planes all the way up to the B737-200 series. Included in the upgrading is new landing instrumentation, allowing movements even during overcast weather conditions, making Walvis Bay one of only few airports in Southern Africa with such technology. With most of the upgrading completed toward the second half of 2008, Air Namibia has now been able to introduce direct flights between Johannesburg and Walvis Bay. Namibia RailwaysThe northern railway extension project from Tsumeb to the Angolan border only has the lat 70 km section to be completed. By 2008, a brand new desert rail link with Botswana, across the Kalahari is in the pipeline.
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