Botswana leans into Walvis Bay

Botswana is looking to deepen its use of the Port of Walvis Bay as an Atlantic gateway, with senior officials from the two countries preparing for talks on the future of the Trans-Kalahari Corridor and a proposed railway linking Botswana to Namibia's coast.

Botswana's transport minister, Keoagile Atamelang, visited the Botswana Dry Port at Walvis Bay over the weekend to assess its operations and explore how the facility could be used more extensively to support Botswana's import and export trade.

The visit included inspections of Sea Rail Botswana's warehouse, bonded facilities and other logistics infrastructure. The minister also viewed cargo, including copper concentrate, and was briefed on customs clearance and cargo-handling operations.

Atamelang described the Atlantic route through Walvis Bay as an important and resilient "blue route" for Botswana.

The visit comes as Botswana seeks to unlock the full logistical potential of its dry port and strengthen the western corridor connecting the landlocked country to international markets through Namibia.

Sea Rail Botswana has operated at Walvis Bay for 12 years under a 50-year lease agreement with the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport).

The facility has already handled international cargo for Botswana, including a bulk sugar shipment from Brazil. The consignment was discharged at Walvis Bay before being cleared, stored in bonded facilities and transported onwards through Sea Rail's integrated road and rail network.

The operation demonstrated how the Walvis Bay-Botswana route can accommodate cargo from overseas markets through to its final destination.

Railway could reshape corridor

The next major development will be technical discussions on the proposed Trans-Kalahari Railway.

Namibian and Botswana technical experts are due to meet in Walvis Bay this week for the second phase of joint technical sessions on the project.

The proposed railway would cover about 1,500km, linking Mmamabula in Botswana with the Port of Walvis Bay.

The meetings are expected to focus on harmonising technical standards, agreeing the corridor alignment and developing an implementation roadmap.

The railway is potentially significant for both countries because it would provide a dedicated rail connection between Botswana's mineral-producing regions and the Namibian port.

It could also increase the role of rail in moving bulk commodities and reduce reliance on road freight along the western corridor.

The technical discussions follow a broader push by the two governments to improve transport links and make the Trans-Kalahari Corridor more efficient.

Transport minister, Veikko Nekundi, is due to meet Mr Atamelang in Walvis Bay to discuss transport and infrastructure issues affecting the corridor.

Nekundi has called for greater emphasis on implementation, rather than continued discussions around regional infrastructure projects.

The discussions also come as Walvis Bay hosted its first Maritime Week, jointly organised by the Municipality of Walvis Bay and Namport.