WBCG’s Acting CEO looks back on 2018, anticipates 2019

WBCG Acting CEO, Mr. Clive Smith, sat down in an exclusive interview to curate his thoughts on 2018 and hopes for 2019.

“In 2018 our focus was on sustaining the momentum gained under the Logistics Hub project whilst enhancing our business development activities and thus create an ever-effective environment to attract new opportunities to Namibia. The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) is considered as a best practice in terms of Corridor Management Institutions and we constantly strive to develop relationships that focus on regional integration.

Our business development activities through our offices in South Africa, Brazil, DRC and Zambia, were evident in the higher volumes recorded through the Port of Walvis Bay – achieving a 47.5% increase in volumes from 493,271 tonnes during 2017 to 727,568 tonnes in 2018. This role of attracting more cargo through our Ports onto our Corridors has become more crucial due to the commissioning of the new Container Terminal in Walvis Bay, planned for August 2019. The additional consolidated efforts of Industry stakeholders is valuable to attain the increased volumes needed.

The wellness concerns of our industry workers remains a key focus area. Together with our development partners, we opened another wellness clinic in Windhoek, which now brings the total of WBCG Wellness Roadside Clinics to four – located in Walvis Bay, Windhoek, Katima Mulilo and Oshikango.

Our Logistics Hub programme continues to gain traction, as we work on implementing the activities under the Logistics Hub Master Plan. An important milestone under this project was the completion of the very first State of Logistics Report for Namibia. The report, compiled by the Namibian-German Centre for Logistics (NGCL) and through the financial assistance of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), was completed in November 2018 and officially launched by our Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. John Mutorwa in March 2019.

As Acting CEO, it was important for me to ensure continuity after the departure of our CEO in February 2018. I felt it vital to move the WBCG into a new direction where we focus on sustainability and increased stakeholder engagement. The team and I worked on implementing our agreed activity plan for 2018 and further delved into establishing an international footprint of the WBCG through a planned office in Europe. Additionally, this also afforded me the opportunity to consolidate the Logistics Hub Project’s programmes to form part of the WBCG’s core focus. Congratulations

We find ourselves in challenging yet exciting times, which will require smart partnerships, hard work and overall dedication from all parts of the Namibian House. In order to succeed, our intentions must become action. This is the philosophy WBCG has adopted for 2019 and we remain optimistic that our interventions and support will continue to bring a meaningful contribution to Namibia’s growth”.