BOTSWANA TRADE VOLUMES VIA WALVIS BAY REACH THE HIGHEST MONTHLY VOLUMES YET
Volumes along the TransKalahari Corridor for the Botswana market have hit a record high of more than 2000 tonnes, which has shown a significant growth month on month, with much more consumables and especially a steep increase in motor vehicles being transported via the Port of Walvis Bay. Some of the Botswana importers and exporters have opted for the TransKalahari Corridor since it provides a real alternative for time critical cargo. We have also experienced that more than 70% of the road transporters previously using the traditional trade route via the South of Namibia to Johannesburg have now opted for the TransKalahari Corridor, which is 400 km shorter via Bostwana from Walvis Bay. The TransKalahari route is also a much faster route for road transportation, as it saves about 5-7 days in transit for Botswana imports and exports compared to some of other ports in the region for cargo from European and American markets.
Botswana is currently in the process of developing their Dry Port at the port of Walvis Bay. The dry port will be developed on a 36, 233-square metre piece of land granted by Namibia under a 50-year lease which was signed in September 2009 and is situated in the port with the main objectives being to consolidate maritime goods in intermodal short and long distance transport flows, to improve cargo processing through co-ordinated operations, to reduce transport costs and journey time and to strengthen the role of the Walvis Bay Port in transport chains. Within the medium to long term the opportunity also exists for the construction of a railway line, namely the TransKalahari Railway, connecting Botswana's Mmamabula coal field with the Namibian coastline. Construction of the railway is expected to take approximately five years at a cost of approximately $9 billion. As a result of this construction, the Trans-Kalahari line would stretch over 1,500 km from Mmamabula to Walvis Bay.
The Trans Kalahari Corridor Management Committee, a joint regional committee was initiated and established by Namibia’s Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication in conjunction with the Botswana and South African Governments as well as private sector transport representatives. The purpose of the management committee is to address issues that affect the flow of trade on the Trans Kalahari Corridor. In this regard, much has been accomplished such as the harmonisation of Border operating hours from 22h00 to 00h00 along the entire corridor; the harmonisation of Axle Load Limits; the adoption of a common through bond replacing the multi-bond system; and the reduction of Border clearance (dwell time) from over several hours to a maximum of 1 hour and a minimum of 30 minutes on the Trans Kalahari Corridor.
The TransKalahari Corridor provides an ideal opportunity to add economic value to Botswana coupled with the economy of Botswana that has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966, and is now a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $13,100 in 2010.
