‘Make use of Zim Dry Port facility’

ZIMBABWEAN exporters should tap into the comparative advantages presented by the Zimbabwe Dry Port facility at Walvis Bay in Namibia to increase trade and investment from Europe and West Africa.

In 2009, the country was granted over 18 000 square metres of land in Walvis Bay to establish a dry port facility whose construction was completed in 2019.

The dry port facility, which was commissioned by President Mnangagwa also seeks to boost trade and bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Furthermore, it is hoped that the Zimbabwe Dry Port would spearhead the growth of more imports and exports for the Zimbabwean market.

A dry port is a city away from a sea were formalities for exports and imports through the ports are completed and shipments sent from there to sea ports for loading on ships where no more paper work is needed.

Speaking during an information session on promoting the Walvis Bay as preferred logistics hub to the Zimbabwe market in Bulawayo yesterday, Zimbabwe Dry Port acting area manager Mr Justy Moses said the core business of the dry port facility among others includes offering bonded warehouse services, and leasing of bond meaning that the
entire 18 000 square metres is fully bonded.

“We store mainly vehicles as well as general cargo, containers and bulk handling reefer storage (cold storage for perishables or frozen products), freight forwarding, packing and unpacking as well as stuffing and de-stuffing.

“The strategic advantage of the dry port, it is a one stop shop in the sense that you get bonded facilities, leased bond and we do clearing and forwarding. The dry port is located strategically within the port. . . the dry port is safe and secure,” he said.

Mr Moses said the dry port including Namports (Namibia Ports Authority) is not congested thus there is some level of efficiency as the road network in Namibia is sound eliminating delays that come as a result of poor road infrastructure.

Zimbabwe as an economy required to focus on intra-Africa trade pitched by President Mnangagwa to attain an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and Walvis Bay is the most unanimous port for trade with the western side of the continent.

Mr Moses said exporters and importers should also use the Zimbabwe Dry Port as the facility offers competitive rates on the back of improved cargo processing technology.

“We also offer working space to agents, which actually make our working relationship with the agents quite efficient, and as earlier mentioned the yard is fully bonded and secured. There are opportunities for partnerships as the port is not congested and we have improved cargo turnaround time,” he said.

In terms of their key deliverable, he said the Zimbabwe Dry Port was targeting at meeting clients’ needs through the construction of cold chain facility and cargo warehouse.

This, he said was work in progress.
“This port belongs to the people of Zimbabwe so it is the right thing to do for government institutions as well as the private sector to utilise this facility,” he said.

Walvis Bay Corridors Group chief executive officer Mr Hippy Tjivikua said Zimbabwean exporters and importers should also leverage on the opportunities presented by the Walvis Bay Port to improve trade and investment.

“In the absence of rail connectivity, we provide good infrastructure in terms of the roads that are connecting us to these markets.

“Average transit times if a truck is loaded at Walvis Bay, it takes two to three days to get into Zimbabwe so that’s a plus compared to some of the trucks are parked at the border for even seven days up to 10 days at times, that’s a loss in revenue,” he said.

Mr Tjivikua noted that the governments of Zimbabwe and Namibia created an enabling environment to foster trade thus it was in this context that the private sector should ride on the bilateral ties between the two countries.

“It’s for us now as private sector, as experts in the logistics industry to look at how can we invest and get value out of this relationship. If we have return loads, it automatically brings the cost of doing business down,” he said. – The Chronicle