The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), a public-private partnership (PPP) at the forefront of transport and logistics within Southern Africa, continues to drive trade facilitation and corridor efficiency in Namibia. By bringing together government institutions, industry stakeholders and corridor operators, the WBCG is shaping a predictable, competitive and reliable environment for regional trade.
Recent engagements with Government authorities, have created avenues of dialoque aimed at addressing various bottlenecks faced by current and potential corridor users. Amongst others, the WBCG has engaged the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) on the draft Customs Bonds Management Policy to ensure that the transport and logistics industry has added its voice to the policy. Similarly, clarifications on unmanufactured tobacco with NamRA have resolved operational bottlenecks, enabling trial shipments and ensuring smooth cargo flow through Namibia’s corridors.
Through our PPP model, the WBCG has also played a critical role in resolving other non-tariff barriers affecting in-transit cargo. Engagements with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform led to the lifting of the blanket ban on frozen chicken and related products, replaced with risk-based, geographically targeted controls. Simultaneously, restrictions on in-transit fertilizer were removed, though the WBCG and Namport will continue to engage with the Ministry to address outstanding handling and storage matters. These interventions restore predictable trade flows and support corridor reliability.
In a significant regional governance milestone, the Ministry of Works and Transport, in collaboration with the WBCG and Road Fund Administration, facilitated industry consultations on the implementation of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC) User Pay Principle (UPP) and the establishment of a permanent Secretariat, which will be operationalized on 2 April 2026. This development marks a strategic step toward strengthening coordinated corridor governance and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the WBNLDC, with the UPP framework enabling corridor users to directly contribute to its efficiency, safety and competitiveness, while reinforcing the corridor’s role as a reliable and sustainable regional trade route.
Through these collaborative efforts, the WBCG’s PPP model demonstrates the power of partnership in driving operational efficiency, removing trade barriers and positioning Namibia as a trusted trade route for Southern Africa.
