Africa-Press – Namibia. SEARAIL Botswana, which operates a dry port facility for the eastern neighbour, has created more opportunity for local businesses when it welcomed the first breakbulk 20 800 tonnes consignment of sugar from Brazil at the port of Walvis Bay last week.
According to dry port manager Derick Mokgatle, the consignment provided opportunities for local transporters and logistics companies to ensure the delivery of the sugar to different destinations.
“Most of the sugar will be going to Botswana, and some of it will be going to Zimbabwe and other southern African countries. It is more business for Namport, transporters, and clearing agents,” he says.
This is the second-largest consignment of goods the Botswana dry port has handled in the past two years.
The last was 10 000 tonnes of cargo for the components of the Mohembo bridge project, which came through a cargo vessel from Italy and involved 230 trucks to transport.
Namport has welcomed the consignment of sugar stuffed in 50kg bags.
Phillemon Mupupa, a business development partner at Namport, says over the past decade Namport, together with the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, has persistently promoted the use of the port as a crucial hub for Brazilian imports into southern Africa.
“These efforts have finally borne the much-desired fruits with this first consignment of 20 800 tonnes of breakbulk sugar imports, which is hopefully the first of many to follow,” he says.
Another shipment of 15 000 tonnes of sugar is expected to arrive in the second half of 2022.
Mupupa says Namport is optimistic that this would become regular business for the port.
“Namport remains committed to enhancing its clients’ experience through efficient and highly productive port services, consequently allowing the entity to make meaningful straits towards its vision of owning the best-performing seaports in Africa,” he says.
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