Africa’s trade routes

The Road Fund Administrator (RFA), this week at the 8th Annual logistics and transport workshop announced that a lot more work needs to be carried out on logistics and transport infrastructure to tap into the Sub-Saharan transport network.
Erongo governor, Hon. Cleophas Mutjavikua, opened the event for the Hon. Deputy Minister, Lucia Iipumbu, who gave the key note address . “Their presence is clearly demonstrating the ministry of national and economic planning commitment to events focused on logistics.” Director of Namibia German Centre for Logistics Mr. Logan Fransman said. Adding that this shows how true Namibia’s National Development Plan is determined to make logistics one of the mainstay pillars of the economy.
Namibia hopes to join ten selected economies on the African continent who have risen to prominence as an investment destination over the past few years, especially in transportation and logistics.
A PwC report omitted Namibia despite its transport and logistics potential as it shed light on the demographic and economic situation in Sub-Saharan Africa which is expected to grow its gross domestic product (GDP) by more than 7% per year. The report focused on the frameworks in each of the ten countries for trade, business and transport infrastructure.
The report analyses the future markets of Algeria, Angola, DRC, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. Their relevant market risks and key opportunities.
Global Leader of Transportation & Logistics,Klaus-Dieter Ruske, and Director of Transportation & Logistics, Peter Kauschke said.“Whether moving resources off the continent or bringing goods and services into its burgeoning economies, Africa’s future growth and development will depend on the quality of its infrastructure and the efficiency of its transport networks.”
Fransman said that operators and the road fund administration gave a clear picture on the sheer magnitude of work needs to be carried out when maintaining, upgrading and developing roads in Namibia.
“All modes of transport were represented at the workshop, with the Walvis-bay port giving an update of its on-going expansion, and the aviation and rail sectors shedding light on the future plans and initiatives geared towards the Namibian Logistics hub.” Fransman elaborated.
International organisations gave their view on distribution channels and their importance, as well as ways to develop a more structured road transport sector. This was both informative for delegates as well as beneficial to our industry which is aspiring to facilitate trade as a logistics hub in the region.
Running under the theme of making Namibian a gateway opportunity for trade in Africa, with relevant topics including the National Single Window Concept, the customs initiatives to facilitating trade, transport regulation and its importance for trade, and State of Logistics Publications as tools to measure performance.
The 8th Annual logistics and transport workshop hosted by the Namibian German Centre for Logistics (NGCL) and Walvis-Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) gathered good attendance. All the stakeholders contributed to the overall theme of the workshop focused on Namibian as gateway and opportunity for trade with Africa.
The two day workshop which ran from 28 to 30 September was hosted in Swakopmund and attracted over 100 delegates, with participants from government, parastatals, policy makers and planners, operators, and academics, making it a truly logistics focused and specialised event presentations. They were 22 speakers from home and also from across the world, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany, as well as South Africa.
The workshop was made successful by sponsors such as the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Southern Business School, NAMPORT, Namibia University of Science and Technology and he Flensburg University of applied Science. These sponsors contributed either in monetary terms or through providing speakers for the workshop.