photo: jack dempsey transport - the namibian29 september 2016 2 transport & logistics w elcome...

A Publication of TransportLogistics

Photo: Jack Dempsey

Transport & Logistics29 September 2016 2

Welcome to 2016’s Supplement on Logistics and Transportation. The

Namibian understands the important role logistics and transport play in the Land of the Brave and each year the paper dedicates a full supplement to the subject. The newspaper joins the government that has for the last decade been mindful of this critical sector. The Namibian government has been cognisant of the fact that efficient and effective logistics and transport systems do not come overnight, and they therefore included logistics and transport in the National Development Plans NDP4 and NDP5. These plans have recognised this sector as a cornerstone in achieving competitiveness and meaningful economic growth in Namibia.

Logistics and transport are seen as infrastructure services, knowledge and processes that allow for the safe movement of goods and people. Without these in place for Namibia and in turn the SADC region, there is little hope of trade facilitation becoming the catalyst to generating wealth and funding economic and social development. The importance of this cannot be overemphasised. That is why achieving an efficient logistics and transport sector has taken precedence in Namibia and many other countries across Africa. Namibia recently joined 15 other African countries in the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) to establish a single market for the movement of people, goods and services.

Foreword:Safe logistics and transport key to Namibia’s competitiveness

Regional growth over the last 20 years has seen the demand increase twofold for delivering goods and services to landlocked countries, with transport sectors becoming lucrative businesses to operate in. It is one of the reasons why the Namibia German Centre of Logistics (NGCL) exists as part of the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Without a strong foundation in logistics education that can match the international logistics sector knowledge, we cannot hope to achieve the goals set forth in the NDP.

This all sounds great, but one of the major hurdles, which we keep facing, is the safety aspect of logistics and transportation. As the need for delivery of goods and services increases and Namibia positions itself more and more as the logistical hub of SADC, everything needs to function optimally. With competition expected from other port-based countries, and for Namibia to become the preferred trade facilitating country, being fast and reliable and above all safety

conscious becomes essential. In order to achieve this status, the streamlining and simplification of processes have to be evident, regional harmonisation ought be the order of the day, and safety should be ensured. However, the current statistics of accidents in Namibia put our roads as some of the most deadly worldwide. This has a severe impact on the movement of goods and people. Accidents or crashes apart from the human costs mean delays, transportation connections missed and huge financial implications.

That is why this year’s Logistics and Transportation Supplement tackles the difficult subject of road safety. NGCL, its partners and the public at large, are searching for a solution to curb road accidents, thereby creating a safer and more efficient network of transportation and logistics for the country and its people.

We hope you enjoy and learn more about this dynamic sector after reading the articles in the supplement. The different facets and aspects of logistics in this supplement will hopefully motivate more people and organisations to become involved and help nurture, develop and foster a safe transportation environment that benefits the Namibian economy.

Feel free to drop in at NGCL for more information. We wish you pleasant and informative reading.

Logan FransmanDirector of The Namibian-German Centre for Logistics

• WC (JACK) DEMPSEY

INTRODUCTION

THE railway has its origin in the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800’s and dominated land transport with its peak in the late 1940’s whereafter it declined in the face of disruptive competition from other transport modes that flourished on the momentum of the World War II technology boom. The railway has proven to be one of the most durable industries to have emerged from the Industrial Revolution and has already entered its 3rd century as a mode of transport. Namibia has celebrated 120 years of state railways in 2015. Where the railway used to be the dominant mode of land transport, its role has significantly changed from a common carrier of all kinds of goods towards a competitive player in certain market niches based on its inherent strengths. Its future is not to be found in its past and Railways need to adapt to current challenges of the logistics industry.

CURRENT SITUATION

Railways in southern Africa were historically developed to carry natural resources and not to support regional or continental networkability and economic integration as envisaged in the vision of establishing Namibia as a logistics hub. The southern African railway systems are generally weak and running at a loss, with Transnet Freight Rail as the only exception due to its heavy haul lines.

African colonial railways were constructed at the lowest passible standards supporting low axle loads and low speeds, a legacy still prevalent amongst many continental railway systems (including Namibia). Track gauges on the continent vary from standard gauge in north Africa to metre gauge in east Africa and Cape gauge (1067 mm) in southern Africa.

The Namibian rail system (on Cape gauge) has a direct rail link only with the SA Transnet system via Nakop, Upington, De Aar and is indirectly linked to other SADC countries on the same track gauge via South Africa, i.e. Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, DRC, Angola (once the Lobito-DRC link is re-opened), Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi and Tanzania ( via the Tazara line). The long route distances and other inefficiencies such as extremely long transit times do however render these rail links not as a viable trade route. Even rail traffic between Namibia and South Africa comprises less than 3% of TransNamib’s rail volumes and is seriously constrained by a route distance 43% longer than the Trans Kalahari road option to Gauteng province and very long transit times.

The Namibian government has embarked on a programme to upgrade its rail network to 18,5 / 20 to axle load , which is a very good fit for the general freight type of traffic conveyed over its network and leverages the inherent strength of higher

axle loads on rail. Approximately 45 % of the Nambian network of 2 600 route km can accommodate only 16,5 tonne per axle and less.

Map ( Pic 1) clearly illustrates the lack of rail networking between Namibia and its hinterland.

RAILWAY’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The following 3 genetic technologies distinguish rail from other transport modes:

Bearing, which promotes heavy axle loads

Guiding, which promotes high speedCoupling, which promotes long trains Rail is inherently globally competitive

in Heavy Haul (heavy axle load, very long trains but low speed), High Speed Intercity transport (high speed, but low axle load) and Heavy Intermodal (double stacked containers, heavy axle load and high speed). The market space of heavy intermodal /double stack containers and high speed intercity transport is not accessible on the Cape gauge/ narrow gauge standard.

Rail is also known to be an energy efficient transport mode with a very low steel-wheel on steel-rail rolling resistance.

Rail needs to leverage its inherent strengths as referred to above to be competitive and play its rightful role in the development of Namibia’s aspirations of a logistics hub.

WALVIS BAY CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT

Namibia made huge progress in developing new trade routes through its WB Corridor initiatives and road transport has been the pathfinder, playing a pioneering role in identifying and opening up trade routes as happened in other parts of the world after which railways can leverage their genetic technologies to provide capacity, tonnage and cost efficiencies. In the absence of direct rail links, the overland intermodal options of transhipment at the railheads along the Trans Cunene and Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi corridors are for now the only option for rail and needs to be explored more in partnership with the road and logistics industries.

SILK ROAD ON RAILS

In our vision to become a logistics hub, Namibia can take a page from the landmark achievement in global railway infrastructure with the launching in what has become known as the “Silk Road on Rails – China-Europe block trains” that carry goods across the globe. The traditional Silk Route was an ancient overland transport network operated by camel caravans between ancient centres of population and provided a link between the East and Europe. The proposal to establish a China-Europe railroad service surprised even the most experienced of rail industry

Rail As An Integral Element Of The Logistics Hub

24 AUG

22 SEP

20 OCT

24 NOV

M. Maletzky | Tel: 061 2072909Email: [email protected]: www. centreforlogistics.org

09:00 - 12:00

09:00 - 12:00

09:00 - 12:00

09:00 - 12:00

Road safety educationand awareness

Value of driver trainingto change behaviour

The emergency servicesexperience on road safety

Law Enforcement andalternative systems

Logan Fransman

3Transport & LogisticsTransport & Logistics 29 September 2016

www.trustcoair.na | +264 61 275 4132 | [email protected]

axle loads on rail. Approximately 45 % of the Nambian network of 2 600 route km can accommodate only 16,5 tonne per axle and less.

Map ( Pic 1) clearly illustrates the lack of rail networking between Namibia and its hinterland.

RAILWAY’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

The following 3 genetic technologies distinguish rail from other transport modes:

Bearing, which promotes heavy axle loads

Guiding, which promotes high speedCoupling, which promotes long trains Rail is inherently globally competitive

in Heavy Haul (heavy axle load, very long trains but low speed), High Speed Intercity transport (high speed, but low axle load) and Heavy Intermodal (double stacked containers, heavy axle load and high speed). The market space of heavy intermodal /double stack containers and high speed intercity transport is not accessible on the Cape gauge/ narrow gauge standard.

Rail is also known to be an energy efficient transport mode with a very low steel-wheel on steel-rail rolling resistance.

Rail needs to leverage its inherent strengths as referred to above to be competitive and play its rightful role in the development of Namibia’s aspirations of a logistics hub.

WALVIS BAY CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT

Namibia made huge progress in developing new trade routes through its WB Corridor initiatives and road transport has been the pathfinder, playing a pioneering role in identifying and opening up trade routes as happened in other parts of the world after which railways can leverage their genetic technologies to provide capacity, tonnage and cost efficiencies. In the absence of direct rail links, the overland intermodal options of transhipment at the railheads along the Trans Cunene and Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi corridors are for now the only option for rail and needs to be explored more in partnership with the road and logistics industries.

SILK ROAD ON RAILS

In our vision to become a logistics hub, Namibia can take a page from the landmark achievement in global railway infrastructure with the launching in what has become known as the “Silk Road on Rails – China-Europe block trains” that carry goods across the globe. The traditional Silk Route was an ancient overland transport network operated by camel caravans between ancient centres of population and provided a link between the East and Europe. The proposal to establish a China-Europe railroad service surprised even the most experienced of rail industry

players. The China-Europe rail route is the longest in the world, spanning more than 10 000 km over 6 countries including Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked country in the world. The journey time is 12 days and the trains are reported to be on schedule every time. It started off with 1 train per month and has increased to 6 per week.

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

Railways are asset intensive industries and change slowly. The railway systems in Southern Africa as we have them today are the result of decisions taken more than 100 years ago, based on circumstances at that time. As said earlier in this article, the rail systems in Southern Africa are locked into the Cape gauge (narrow gauge) standard as its colonial legacy which represents only 3% of global freight tonne-km on rail. Standard gauge railway has become the global standard offering benefits such as higher speed, heavy intermodal/double stack containers, lower cost of rolling stock (Cape gauge locomotives priced at twice standard

gauge locomotives per unit tractive effort/kN) and access to a global market of rolling stock available new/used and on lease . The respected researcher on railways strategy, Van der Meulen, has made the statement in recent years that the writing is on the wall for Africa’s narrow gauge (metre and Cape gauge) railways due to their “obsoleteness”

Against this background, careful planning is therefore needed in the development of new regional railway links as integral elements of the logistics hub. Kenya has been the first SADC country to embark on a standard gauge railway system with the Mombassa – Nairobi standard gauge railway under construction ( due for completion by June 2017) and plans to extend this ultimately to Uganda. Tanzania has expressed its intention to construct a standard gauge railway connecting Dar es Salaam with its neighbouring landlocked countries.

It is my opinion that the Cape gauge railways as we have them in Namibia can be operated economically and be competitive in the rail friendly market spaces, including cross-border rail

services, provided it applies modern day technologies and best practice governance and management principles. We must however not lose sight of the proven advantages of standard gauge railways when a new route such as a Trans Kalahari Rail project is established.

INSTITUTIONAL REFORM

The Southern Africa Railways Association (Sara) was founded in 1996 as an association of Railway Companies in the SADC region. Besides promoting and lobbying for rail transport, Sara also aims to promote interconnectivity and cross-border operability of railways for a regional rail network. This association has, however, achieved very little over the past 20 years of existence and some new initiatives and/or institutional reforms will be required to establish a platform where regional rail links can be promoted in a well coordinated manner to the benefit of all stakeholder countries. May the WBCG play such a pioneering role! * WC Dempsey is an independent rail consultant.

Rail As An Integral Element Of The Logistics Hub


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• DENVER KISTING

AHEAD of Presi-dent Hage Gein-gob’s Harambee

Prosperity Plan, the Roads Authority has been at the forefront of visionary road expansion projects.

According to Hileni Fil-lemon, the RA’s spokes-person, they have what they call a Medium to Long Term Road Master Plan which focuses on new projects beyond ten years. “The input comes from re-gional leadership and the regional road boards. With Harambee, the majority of the projects were already identified and were in our plan. Harambee projects such as the Windhoek– Hosea Kutako Internation-al Airport road upgrade, the Swakopmund-Hen-ties Bay-Uis-Kamanjab road upgrade, Okahand-ja-Windhoek road upgrade to a dual carriage way and the Swakopmund–Walvis Bay road upgrade to a dual carriageway are already in progress.”

To demonstrate this, she explains that “we are done with the detailed design of the Omuthiya-Oshakati road upgrade to a dual car-riage way and we are ready to go on tender.” The other Harambee project is the upgrading to a two-plus-one lane between Karibib and Swakopmund. This project is currently in the design stage. Ninety per-cent of the Harambee proj-ects are underway and we are confident that we will be able to deliver as per the plan.”

One hiccup, she ac-knowledges, is their bank balance. “Funding is a challenge but since the Harambee projects are priority, we will go back to the drawing board and see which projects can be put on hold to start work on the ones on the priority list. Where we have chal-lenges, we will approach our government to seek advice on funding sourc-es.”

Having a plan in place is the only way one can stay afloat, she states. “RA has adopted evaluation criteria that take into consideration the steps needed to allow significant participation of local entities. Firstly, we have put in place prelim-inary evaluation, which ensures empowerment of local entities as provided for in various Namibian legislation frameworks. Secondly, we have adopt-ed what is termed ‘pref-erential evaluation’ which advocates for an allocation of a maximum of 25 points to entities that have [a] significant component of previously disadvantaged group categories. The third measure implement-

Christoph Scholz, managing director

Elmarie Cilliers, head of Wesbank


Into whichever direction you may look, there are thousands of bitumen, gravel anddistrict roads to choose from. Each one expertly planned and constructed to ensurethere’s always an endless supply of safe roads leading to boundless possibilities.

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Schenker’s remarkable growth in Namibia

WesBank – We know how

• DENVER KISTING

AHEAD of Presi-dent Hage Gein-gob’s Harambee

Prosperity Plan, the Roads Authority has been at the forefront of visionary road expansion projects.

According to Hileni Fil-lemon, the RA’s spokes-person, they have what they call a Medium to Long Term Road Master Plan which focuses on new projects beyond ten years. “The input comes from re-gional leadership and the regional road boards. With Harambee, the majority of the projects were already identified and were in our plan. Harambee projects such as the Windhoek– Hosea Kutako Internation-al Airport road upgrade, the Swakopmund-Hen-ties Bay-Uis-Kamanjab road upgrade, Okahand-ja-Windhoek road upgrade to a dual carriage way and the Swakopmund–Walvis Bay road upgrade to a dual carriageway are already in progress.”

To demonstrate this, she explains that “we are done with the detailed design of the Omuthiya-Oshakati road upgrade to a dual car-riage way and we are ready to go on tender.” The other Harambee project is the upgrading to a two-plus-one lane between Karibib and Swakopmund. This project is currently in the design stage. Ninety per-cent of the Harambee proj-ects are underway and we are confident that we will be able to deliver as per the plan.”

One hiccup, she ac-knowledges, is their bank balance. “Funding is a challenge but since the Harambee projects are priority, we will go back to the drawing board and see which projects can be put on hold to start work on the ones on the priority list. Where we have chal-lenges, we will approach our government to seek advice on funding sourc-es.”

Having a plan in place is the only way one can stay afloat, she states. “RA has adopted evaluation criteria that take into consideration the steps needed to allow significant participation of local entities. Firstly, we have put in place prelim-inary evaluation, which ensures empowerment of local entities as provided for in various Namibian legislation frameworks. Secondly, we have adopt-ed what is termed ‘pref-erential evaluation’ which advocates for an allocation of a maximum of 25 points to entities that have [a] significant component of previously disadvantaged group categories. The third measure implement-

ed to promote local partici-pation in road construction tenders is the consideration given to contractors that have local experience on similar projects. This real-

ly works very well and has proven to be beneficial in the procurement process.”

It is not always easy to make a call about which road’s improvements take

precedence, but the RA has a strong team of advisers. “There are established re-gional road boards across the country who, in con-sultation with the regional

governors and council-lors, advise the Ministry of Works and Transport, through the Roads Author-ity, on regional priorities which eventually get in-

corporated in the medium to long term roads master plan. This master plan is then tabled by the Minis-try of Works and Transport to the National Planning

Commission (NPC) after which Cabinet endorses the recommendation of the NPC. Priorities are then set in the master plan for bud-getary purposes.”

On the road with Harambee


KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to KLM takes you to Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the Amsterdam and the rest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the worldrest of the world

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London NAD 9000

Frankfurt NAD 7000

New York NAD 13200

FROM

Return fares, including taxes, ex Windhoek, T&C apply

Find more offers on klm.com.na or contact your travel agent

12217-KLM The Republiekein (264x390).indd 1 2016/09/13 4:39 PM


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IT’S an exciting time for the Namibian aviation sector with several new

airlines adding Namibia to their global networks. How does this increased popular-ity help the country to be-come a logistics hub? The Namibian speaks to Bart Koot, country manager for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Q: KLM is starting op-erations at the end of Oc-tober. Can you tell us a bit more?

Bart Koot (BK): Our first flight will land in Windhoek on Monday 31 October. We will fly three times a week between Windhoek and Amsterdam with a short stopover in Luanda. Passengers don’t have to disembark though and the total travel time is less than 13 hours. Our flights leave here late afternoon for an early morning touchdown in Amsterdam, allowing passengers to arrive in cities like London for breakfast. We will use an A330-200 that carries 243 passengers.

Q: Why did KLM choose Namibia as a des-tination?

BK: We have been eye-ing out Namibia for several years and opening this route is a dream come true. As the latest travel statistics pre-sented by minister Poham-ba Shifeta show, Namibia is a steadily growing market with great future potential. The traffic from northern Europe and North America is expanding rapidly and this is exactly where KLM has a strong presence. To-gether with our partners Air France and Delta Airlines we offer 25% of all transat-lantic capacity for travel be-tween Europe and the US, Canada and Mexico.

We also see that a ma-jority of the travellers are middle-aged or older. That means that visitors to Na-mibia have relatively deep pockets and are able to spend money on tickets and their stay here, which is great for an airline and even better for Namibia.

Because of the strategic position of our hub Amster-dam and the alliances with our partners in Skyteam, we are well positioned to pro-vide seamless connections to other destinations, partic-ularly in the northern hemi-sphere and South America.

Q: Many new airlines are entering the scene in Namibia, doesn’t that concern you?

BK: It’s testament to Namibia’s status as a qual-ity destination. The glob-al marketing machine of airlines like KLM, and our sister airline Air France, is enormous and will put Namibia on the map as a destination for leisure and business. As of the 31st of October, we will offer Na-mibians the opportunity to fly directly into the heart of Europe and benefit from the connections of Amster-dam’s Schiphol Airport, the world’s 2nd most connected airport. In our long history, we have continuously been innovating and exploring our horizons in order to bring the best we have to our customers and we will do so in Namibia as well.

Q: What does this all

mean for the Namibian aviation industry?

BK: I feel these are excit-ing times for Namibia and for KLM. It is an important moment and a great op-portunity for Namibia as a logistics hub. New airlines will bring a lot of new pas-sengers and cargo to Wind-hoek. This fits in with the country’s aim to stimulate tourism and attract foreign investments. As KLM, we have seen that in many air-ports and countries that we have added to our network,

new tourists and business-women and men find their ways to the market.

Q: What is needed to make the logistics hub a reality?

BK: Someone once asked Richard Branson how he became a million-aire. He answered: ‘That’s easy. First you become a billionaire, then you buy an airline’. Point of the story is that margins in logistics are very small and you need to be smart to make it work. Holland is a global

leader in logistics and we are trading with countries across the world. Our ex-perience in aviation goes a long way: Amsterdam Air-port Schiphol turned 100 on 19 September 2016 and KLM will turn 100 in a few years. We are actually the oldest airline still operating using its original name. If we have learned anything during that time, it’s that it pays to be innovative and efficient.

Q: Are we not a bit ‘out of the way’ in this corner

of Southern Africa?BK: Namibia is very

well positioned to be a gateway to many Southern African countries. Howev-er, location is important, but it is not the only key. In Holland, we created land out of the sea and Schiphol airport is situated 4 meters below sea level, protect-ed by many water works. Creating an efficient and affordable hub, which is innovative and flexible is much more important.

Q: What can these new

airlines bring to the par-ty?

BK: As KLM, we are al-ways interested in sharing our expertise to create win-win situations. We have experience with inter-mod-ular transport where for instance air, rail and port converge. Air France-KLM is one of the biggest airlines in the world with an excel-lent safety record, almost 100 000 people working for us and 87 million pas-sengers that we fly to all corners of the planet.

KLM enters Namibia

Bart Koot, country manager of KLM


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Day in the life of a truck driver


• DENVER KISTING

“IF A client is tough with you, you smile and before you know it, you two part on good terms…”

Those are the words of Nathan Prins.This 34-year-old man has been in

the truck-driving business since 2 July 2012.

Recently, he gave The Namibian a peep into a day in the life of a truck driver.

A typical day kicks off at 06h00 when an operational driver from his employer, FP du Toit Transport, picks him up at his house in the Goreangab area of Katutura.

Prins says they reach the office at approximately 06h35 and at 07h00, they hit the ground running.

According to him, the official work day always kicks off with a prayer either by one of their managers or supervisors. “And sometimes they let one of us pray.”

After this morning ritual, they discuss the previous day’s happenings - “how it unfolded and whether there were any problems”.

Should it be established that there were no problems experienced, truck drivers and their assistants receive the documentation for the new day’s consignments. “Every truck driver has one assistant, but depending on the load, you could be assigned two assistants.”

Once they reach a customer, they have to wait for a representative of such a customer to come to the truck and provide authorisation “for the seal to be broken”.

Then the disbursement of the goods starts trolley by trolley whereafter the boxes are scanned in one by one. “Sometimes, a shop can have up to between 200 and 300 boxes. The smallest box usually weighs 1kg, whilst the heaviest box could weigh up

Day in the life of a truck driver

to 25 or 30kg.”A sense of accountability is a

golden thread that runs through his profession, Prins states. “If there is anything short, a claim gets submitted.”

In the event of a box being damaged, the transport company often has to cough up. “But when the box is neatly sealed [and there is something missing], it is the client’s responsibility. And those claims can be quite high… If it is the result of the driver’s negligence, the driver might have to pay.”

What is important, he says, is that any matter that arises during a delivery process needs to be reported to head office for a direction on the way forward. “They then tell us whether or not to sign off a claim. When everything is in order, we get a stamp from the client.”

On the day of the interview, Prins had three main shop stops. “But it could be up to ten shops. It all depends on the load. Today the load was more per shop.”

Print says he is passionate about his job. “I am someone who enjoys chatting and making jokes. From day one, I had great relations with clients.”

Also, he enjoys driving and travelling — key components of his profession. “I mostly enjoy driving on the open road in Namibia.”

This has taken him to many towns in Namibia. “I even went to Oshakati once.”

Currently, their peak season is underway and he does have a word of caution for and about Namibian road users. “Hulle ry glad die mooi nie en mens moet oppas. (They do not drive well and one needs to be careful.)”

PROUD … Nathan Prins and his truck-driver assistant, Carlos Likius (23, right) take pride in their work. Photo: Garwin Beukes

Distinguished by the Namib Desert and partly bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia’s geographical

location on the African continent is lucrative for the economy of the country. In addition to being identified as the top emerging market economy in Africa in 2013 and ranking 13th best in the world, Namibia is home to the main entrance to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mall via the port of Walvis Bay.

The port of Walvis Bay on the west coast of southern Africa, is a natural gateway for international trade, offering vast and multiple opportunities for strategic partnerships. Fully equipped and supported by a network of well-maintained tarred roads and a railway system that extends across Namibia and into neighbouring countries, the port assists these networks to facilitate trade not only between the SADC region and Europe, but also increasingly with the Americas and the Far East.

The idea is to consolidate the port and increase its role in becoming a hub port for transit and transhipment cargo, serving as a reliable and efficient interface for imports and exports within SADC. Through the Walvis Bay corridors, the infrastructure and port make it suitable to serve import and export-bound sea-borne cargo. As such, the port provides a cost-effective alternative to others in southern Africa, which operate at maximum capacity, and whose turnaround times on cargo handling depend on weather conditions.

Namibia has realised that the role of transport and logistics have become

increasingly important to accelerate the growth of the region’s economy. With a clear vision to become a regional leader in logistics and distribution in southern Africa, the focus to develop Namibia into a logistics hub should remain high priority, and as such the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has been appointed as the patron by the government to spearhead the implementation process.

The logistics hub department has since been established by the WBCG from where the National Logistics Master plan was born. Continuing to convince international decision makers, WBCG endeavours to increase cargo for its ports and corridors and continue to engage the facilitation of corridor and infrastructure development. This institutional arrangement seems to be most appropriate for the utilisation and enhancement of the existing institutional capacities and resources and the optimisation of the institutional, systematic and operational synergies for the benefit of an integrated and sustainable logistics hub for Namibia.

WBCG takes its name after the Walvis Bay corridors, which are an integrated system of routes between the port of Wal-vis Bay, the Trans Kalahari, the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLDC) and Trans Cunene and Trans Oranje Corridors. WBCG has been driving the process of a transport forum along the WBNLDC, which has led to a tripartite agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia.

Namibia as a Logistics Hub for Southern Africa

• WALVIS BAY CORRIDOR GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, JOHNY SMITH

That Namibia’s export revenue stood at N$16.498 billion while the

import bill was valued at N$23.858 billion.

Namibia Statistics Agency, P. O. Box 2133, Windhoek, FGI House, Post Street Mall, Tel: +264 61 431 3200, Fax: +264 61 431 3253 | +264 61 431 3240, www.nsa.org.na

That South Africa, Namibia’snumber one export destination

only grew by a mere 4%.

Full report available at www.nsa.org.na

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• DENVER KISTING

TRANSPORT, logistics and supply chain management essentially lie at the heart of consumers’ product

needs.Taking the lead in walking us through

the highlights and challenges of this vastly expanding industry is industry expert Hugo van Lill. “We as consumers often forget, willingly or unwillingly, what goes on behind the proverbial curtain. The next time you go to a shop to buy milk or bread, have a look around you and think about all the different products, how the resources were gathered to create it, the manufacturing process itself and how they eventually got there where you are standing!”

Often, it is not borne in mind that “indeed, there is an entire army of people working in synchronisation to provide you with that lovely drinking yogurt. To give you an idea, the average American supermarket holds on average 47 000 products,” Van Lill explains.

Moreover, the business of transport and logistics has a number of unexpected aces up its sleeve, he states. “This industry also exerts its influence in areas where you would not traditionally make a connection. Have you ever thought how important it is for that blood transfusion to arrive safely, on time and in the required condition? Or the supply of drugs to combat various illnesses and diseases in Namibia?”

Often, its implications are as far-reaching as having an influence on core functions, like an education system. “You can even see the influence on our education system if textbooks are not delivered to classrooms around our country [on time]. So you see, it’s not just about getting a product from A to B. It’s a big engine used to drive the economy of a country and the general wellbeing of its citizens.”

Especially amongst laymen, there often exists confusion about something as intrinsic as the terminology of the industry, Van Lill reveals. “Now, it is a common misperception to use the terms ‘logistics’ and ‘supply chain’ interchangeably, never mind ‘logistics’ and ‘transport’. They are indeed part of a whole, but not equal. Michael Hugos states that logistics refers to activities within a single organisation, like procurement, distribution and inventory management and supply chains refer to networks of companies that work together, including marketing, new product development, finance, and customer service. Transport, on the other hand, traditionally deals with services such as air/sea/land transportation, warehousing and customs clearance.”

As is the case with all disciplines, this industry also has a number of challenging bumps along its proverbial road. “External challenges include an increasing competitive international market with the phenomenon of the ‘global village’ and dissipating trading borders. Obviously, there are also numerous social, political and economic factors that play [a] pivotal role. On an individual scale, it depends on where you find yourself in this chain.”

Not mincing his words in his quest to paint a balanced picture, he adds: “Each facet experiences different challenges and requires a different set of skills to overcome them. In general, it is an ever evolving industry; so you have to be able to adapt and constantly learn new skills in order to stay competitive. Also, it can be stressful at times paired with irregular working hours.”

Outlining the rewards in the logistics’ passenger seat is a variable which depends on the individual, Van Lill shares. “I guess that depends on what you define as rewarding! In my situation, I get my kick out of it when I need to solve a problem creatively in [a] short period of time under stress. There can also be a sense of personal fulfilment being part of a team who delivers a crucial service like drought relief. Monetary wise, it depends on what qualifications and experience you have as well as what position you fill. But it can be lucrative.”

According to Van Lill, Namibia is a relatively small actor on the global stage. “We are very small compared to the size of

Logistics expert shares his craft

WALK THE TALK… Despite being very young and a relatively new emerging logistics leader, Hugo van Lill (27) is very knowledgeable and resourceful. He spared The Namibian a moment in his bursting-at-the-seams schedule to shed more light on what is going down. Photo: Contributed

international markets, but then again we also cater for a smaller market. Our influence (existing and envisioned) can however not be ignored. We are ideally situated geographically in southern Africa, providing safe trade corridors to our neighbouring countries and even to central Africa. A growing economy with political stability provides us as Namibians with a great opportunity to rise up in the ranks. With big projects such as the New Port of Walvis bay Container Terminal Project, we are certainly moving in the right direction.”

True to the vastness of the industry is the magnitude of the way forward. “In the consulting industry where I work, I think there is no one particular way forward. My personal opinion is that there are as many solutions in the industry as there are businesses! One can however say that in order to stay competitive in the market, you can’t purely rely on ‘old-school’ strategic and operational management techniques. We live in exciting times with rapid technological advances, and if you fall behind, you might not make it. The market determines to a large extent your top line, but with the help of technology, you can identify and therefore manage your bottom line to stay ahead of the curve.”

The question of economics, he states, ought to be discounted throughout. “Economically it’s getting scary with the current political and economic situation in South Africa, seeing as our Namibia dollar is coupled with the South African rand. Not to mention that the vast majority of our products derive from RSA.”

In conclusion, Van Lill draws The Namibian’s attention to a Tom Peters’ quotation. “Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics.”

Modern and reliable infrastructure is

critical for high and sustained economic growth. Without it,

almost everything in the economic value chain

tends to be slower, less reliable and more

expensive. — Harambee Prosperity Plan


Logistics expert shares his craft

WALK THE TALK… Despite being very young and a relatively new emerging logistics leader, Hugo van Lill (27) is very knowledgeable and resourceful. He spared The Namibian a moment in his bursting-at-the-seams schedule to shed more light on what is going down. Photo: Contributed

international markets, but then again we also cater for a smaller market. Our influence (existing and envisioned) can however not be ignored. We are ideally situated geographically in southern Africa, providing safe trade corridors to our neighbouring countries and even to central Africa. A growing economy with political stability provides us as Namibians with a great opportunity to rise up in the ranks. With big projects such as the New Port of Walvis bay Container Terminal Project, we are certainly moving in the right direction.”

True to the vastness of the industry is the magnitude of the way forward. “In the consulting industry where I work, I think there is no one particular way forward. My personal opinion is that there are as many solutions in the industry as there are businesses! One can however say that in order to stay competitive in the market, you can’t purely rely on ‘old-school’ strategic and operational management techniques. We live in exciting times with rapid technological advances, and if you fall behind, you might not make it. The market determines to a large extent your top line, but with the help of technology, you can identify and therefore manage your bottom line to stay ahead of the curve.”

The question of economics, he states, ought to be discounted throughout. “Economically it’s getting scary with the current political and economic situation in South Africa, seeing as our Namibia dollar is coupled with the South African rand. Not to mention that the vast majority of our products derive from RSA.”

In conclusion, Van Lill draws The Namibian’s attention to a Tom Peters’ quotation. “Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics.”


37WWW.NAMIBIATRADEDIRECTORY.COM 37WWW.NAMIBIATRADEDIRECTORY.COM

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warehouse and a shop.The shop offers a wide

variety of products such as cooldrinks, beer, vari-ous wines from all across the globe (including South Africa), chocolates, sweets, fresh produce like vegeta-bles, fruits and meat con-diments, as well as elec-tronics.

The shop mainly targets Scandinavian people but also accommodates Ger-man shoppers.

Most of the custom-ers come from Denmark (50%), Sweden and Nor-way (20%); 30% are Ger-mans and people from oth-er European countries. This means there’s a great deal of interaction between peo-ple from different nations and cultures.

As a Namibian, Monika encountered and met peo-ple she would normally never have met in Namib-ia, making it a great experi-ence on many levels.

Her language and prag-matic problem solving skills also improved greatly as not everyone speaks En-glish, so it was essential to improve her German.

Prior to her doing her internship at Scandinavian Park, Monika had minimal understanding of how re-tail shops are managed, but now leaves the organisation with vast and valuable ex-perience and knowledge on how they are managed. She is excited about being able to apply this new knowl-edge and experience in her future endeavours. Having been granted the opportu-nity to work in a retail en-vironment at a busy border crossing in Europe opened her eyes to the world of products and possibilities, something she would never have experienced had she stayed in Namibia.

Seeing the vast amount of products available to customers as quick as possible and at affordable prices was as a lesson on how logistics and supply chain systems can still be improved in Namibia. She hopes to use this knowl-edge in and for Namibia in future.

“Having observed how the employees work to-gether, I also got to improve my interpersonal skills by working in an international environment. Although be-ing in Germany was some-times hard as you do miss your family and friends and sunshine in Namibia, it was really worth it and I feel it has made me a more well-rounded and educated individual,” Monika said.

The experience leaves the NUST logistics student in no doubt that she has a future career in logistics and that the world is larger than just Namibia, with so many opportunities avail-able, if you just grasp them when they come by.

But, do wear a coat … as it can get very chilly in Europe.

SOMETIMES the Land of the Brave is not big enough.

Whether it is for educa-tion, or for occupational training, Namibians spread their wings further afield.

Monika Sakaria did just that and whilst studying in Germany and learn-ing about logistics, she grasped the opportunity to do an internship.

As a student of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) she studied logis-tics and already had a good background in that field.

During her semes-ter abroad, she attended Flensburg University to expand both her theoretical and practical knowledge. She also experienced what real cold and rain feel like

in the picturesque northern German town of Flens-burg.

After that semester, Monika decided to stay and do an internship in the field of logistics working for Scandinavian Park, a border shop located near the border between Ger-many and Denmark. It is a 5 000 square metre market which is partly used as a

Sakaria gains valuable experience working abroad

ON TOP OF WORLD ... Monika Sakaria, student of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).


Telephone +264 67 223 0000, Fax nr. +264 67 222 193Email: [email protected] P.O. Box 1322, TSUMEB, NAMIBIA

Rubicon prefers to customize transport arrangements based on specific client needs. Such arrangements are formalized in medium- to long term agreements. Rates are specifically calculated and based on the unique client requirements.

Ad-hocAd-hoc bus trips can also be arranged provided they do not interfere with fixed-scheduled operations.

AA 24 hour control room and a fleet manager at each satellite operation make it possible to manage the transport service effectively. The service is further supported by a transport management team situated at its head office in Tsumeb.

RubiconRubicon vehicles are fully maintained and properly licensed with road permits as required in terms of Namibia law.

warehouse and a shop.The shop offers a wide

variety of products such as cooldrinks, beer, vari-ous wines from all across the globe (including South Africa), chocolates, sweets, fresh produce like vegeta-bles, fruits and meat con-diments, as well as elec-tronics.

The shop mainly targets Scandinavian people but also accommodates Ger-man shoppers.

Most of the custom-ers come from Denmark (50%), Sweden and Nor-way (20%); 30% are Ger-mans and people from oth-er European countries. This means there’s a great deal of interaction between peo-ple from different nations and cultures.

As a Namibian, Monika encountered and met peo-ple she would normally never have met in Namib-ia, making it a great experi-ence on many levels.

Her language and prag-matic problem solving skills also improved greatly as not everyone speaks En-glish, so it was essential to improve her German.

Prior to her doing her internship at Scandinavian Park, Monika had minimal understanding of how re-tail shops are managed, but now leaves the organisation with vast and valuable ex-perience and knowledge on how they are managed. She is excited about being able to apply this new knowl-edge and experience in her future endeavours. Having been granted the opportu-nity to work in a retail en-vironment at a busy border crossing in Europe opened her eyes to the world of products and possibilities, something she would never have experienced had she stayed in Namibia.

Seeing the vast amount of products available to customers as quick as possible and at affordable prices was as a lesson on how logistics and supply chain systems can still be improved in Namibia. She hopes to use this knowl-edge in and for Namibia in future.

“Having observed how the employees work to-gether, I also got to improve my interpersonal skills by working in an international environment. Although be-ing in Germany was some-times hard as you do miss your family and friends and sunshine in Namibia, it was really worth it and I feel it has made me a more well-rounded and educated individual,” Monika said.

The experience leaves the NUST logistics student in no doubt that she has a future career in logistics and that the world is larger than just Namibia, with so many opportunities avail-able, if you just grasp them when they come by.

But, do wear a coat … as it can get very chilly in Europe.

Sakaria gains valuable experience working abroad

• DENVER KISTING

PLANS to ban trucks from driving at night fell flat at an industry meeting held in Windhoek recently.

Present at the gathering were representa-tives from the Namibia Logistics Associa-tion, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the National Road Safety Council and oth-er industry role players of the long-distance transport companies.

Upon enquiry, Julius Ngweda, the spokesperson of the transport ministry, said above all, the plan failed the test of economic viability. “It was not possible to do that. It is not economically viable.”

At the helm of the initiative of barring the night driving of trucks was a public outcry, Ngweda said.

Those who made their voices heard claimed that the surge in Namibia’s road carnage was the result of trucks being on the road at night.

This, Ngweda said, was found not to be true. “Most of the accidents are not as a result of trucks. They are mostly caused by smaller vehicles. It is speeding that kills.”

Disallowing trucks from driving at night would also result in huge delays in the delivery of goods to destinations across the country, Ngweda warned.

But, he said, the works minister may still, from time to time, implement a constrictive regulation during a certain period. “During special periods, like during the festive season, the minister has the power to say trucks may not drive on a particular road at night.”

Another disadvantage that banning trucks from driving at night would have is that trucks from South Africa or another country, in transit through Namibia, would be held up as is the case with the Botswana border that closes at midnight until the next morning, Ngweda said.

Amongst the agenda items which swayed the authoritys was a five-page document, which the Namibia Logistics Association submitted to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Willem Goeiemann.

Amongst others, they insisted that a ban on trucks from travelling between 18h00 and 06h00 should never even have been contemplated.

To allay any fears of an increase in accidents, “heavy-vehicle licensing and roadworthiness testing must be diligently performed by the respective authorities in strict compliance with the statutory and regulatory regime,” it was proposed.

However, they added that they would be in support of a measure by government “that will enforce a compulsory resting period of six consecutive hours falling within the night-time period”.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Ralph Ludwig of the traffic division of the Namibian Police, has lashed out at drivers’ attitudes. This, he said, is the main culprit of the unabated deaths on the country’s roads.

Strict measures are underway to see to it that reckless drivers face the full wrath of the law, he threatened. Amongst others, veteran offenders will have their drivers’ licences suspended, Ludwig said.

Plans to ban night trucks fail

Africa Commercial Vehicles’ long-term love……

Iveco has had a long-standing presence within the Namibian passenger and freight moving industry through the

representation of Africa Commercial Vehicles. This presence has culminated into a well-established client relationship with one of Africa Commercial vehicles’ clients, Silas Ndapuka. Marvin Tsamaseb from ACV introduced us to their client and wanted to bring this story to Namibians.

After returning from exile in 1990, Ndapuka saw an opportunity in the market for transporting passengers between Windhoek and the northern parts of Namibia. So in 1994 he then started Silas Ndapuka Transport which over the years has become a well-known brand in the passenger transport industry.

Ndapuka started on the old minibuses of the time, going through the routes in the North, dropping off and bringing back the valuable passengers to their destinations. Like all operational hardware, Ndapuka realized that the amount of work that these minibuses had to endure was starting to take a toll on them, breakdowns and services causing interruptions within his delivery schedule.

In 1995 he approached Africa Commercial Vehicles about the bigger Iveco Daily buses that were able to

accommodate more passengers and had better seating as well as leg room. Through Ndapuka’s patronage the Iveco Daily gained more popularity in the Namibian taxi industry, especially on the Windhoek to the North bound routes. He stressed the fact that the Iveco buses have a good balance on the road, reliable gearboxes together with strong engines that cover mileage dependently.

The current fleet consists of 36 Iveco Daily buses amongst, which are operating both in Namibia and neighbouring countries. Seven of these vehicles have achieved the landmark figure of clocking up one million kilometers each which indicates the reliability of the Iveco Daily.

Ndapuka stated to us that he still has the passion in checking on his business daily and that he relies heavily on the functionality of the Iveco Daily.

Africa Commercial Vehicles have also been his partner in every step of his business since the very first Iveco Daily bought back in 1995. Since then, Ndapuka has in total owned 63 Iveco Daily buses. Due to his trust in the product and sensing new opportunities in the market, he recently purchased another two 26 Seater Iveco Daily’s to join his ever increasing fleet .

THE COMBINATION ... Marvin Tsamaseb (left) from Africa Commercial Vehicles, Mr Silas Ndapuka (centre) from Silas Ndapuka Transport and David Amukwaya (right) from Silas Ndapuka Transport in front of the new Iveco Daily buses that were recently bought.


In the decade that has passed, the world has been frequently referred to as a global village. This term is

indicative of the increase in the demand for service. Internet usage is booming, more and more business processes are becoming automated and little to no hu-man intervention is required in the pro-curement process. There is however a need for rapid response on the ground, and the management of the logistical process is becoming increasingly im-portant.

The term logistics includes all aspects of all the things that must be done to plan and organise a complicated activ-ity or event that involves many people. This includes the daily running of any type of business, across all sectors. It is much more than just the moving around of boxes or cargo. It includes manage-ment of the supply chain, including the producer, buyer, seller and client. It is also highly relevant in the service indus-try, where time, information, personnel and schedules have to be managed ef-ficiently.

Logistics management is a relative-ly new area of study, and compared to the more mature qualifications, is quite unknown considering the vast scope of its use. Various qualifications have been developed in this area of study, and the Business School of Excellence current-ly offers 12 accredited logistics qual-ifications, ranging from an NQF level 2 qualification, through to a bachelor of business administration degree, spe-cialising in logistics and supply chain management NQF Level 7. Courses are tailor-made for the individual already working in the logistics environment, including wholesalers, retailers, distrib-utors, road transport companies, freight forwarders and any company in the sup-ply chain industry.

Through qualifying in the field of logistics, new career pathways will be-come available to school leavers, giving them exposure in different and exciting areas of work. The field of qualification is broad and encompasses a range of dif-ferent opportunities for the learner.

Tailor-made courses are available for corporates as internal and off-site training opportunities that are occupa-tionally directed and applicable to the relevant industry. As an accredited Namibia Training Authority (NTA) or-ganisation, the vocational education and training levy that companies pay can be reclaimed on courses that are complet-ed through the Business School of Ex-cellence. BSE provides support staff to corporate companies that will manage the full project roll out, as these learner-ships involve a practical component as well as the completion of a portfolio of evidence.

All the VET qualifications, i.e Na-tional Certificates on NQF level 2 – 4 involves a minimum of 25 days for class sessions, as well as a coaching and men-toring component plus the submission of a portfolio of evidence for evalua-tion. The NQF level 5 – 7 qualifications are presented through a blended mode of learning, consisting of self-study and limited contact sessions.

BSE will be launching the higher cer-tificate in logistics management in Jan-uary 2017, consisting of contact classes 3 days per week to assist the students with their studies and to give them the opportunity to experience life with fel-low students.

“We believe that this will greatly im-prove on academic performance, as net-working with, and support from, fellow students proved to be of great value in the student life-cycle.” Says Helga Bus-ing-Volschenk, chief operations officer

Huge opportunities in the logistics training sector

We believe that this will greatly improve on academic performance, as networking with, and support from, fellow students proved to

be of great value in the student life-cycle.

at BSE. “We always strive to support our students wherever possible and to provide them with the highest quality of education. All our courses are Namib-ia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and (South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) accredited as well as NTA reg-istered. Thus, our students have access to an internationally recognised qualifi-cation.”

This course will be perfect for any Grade 12 pupil that did not qualify for university exemption, opening up a pathway to enable them to gain access to the BBA degree, specialising in logis-tics and supply chain management. This is a 3 year undergraduate qualification at NQF level 7, which will open up doors within the logistics and supply chain in-

dustry. We have limited seats available for 2017, and applications opened up at the end of July 2016. Prospective stu-dents can submit their Grade 11 results to secure provisional approval, but will be required to submit their final Grade 12 results before classes commence. Minimum admission criteria for Grade 12 are 6 subjects of which 2 should be languages. English must be passed with a minimum of 50%.

BSE has also recently embarked on a project, funded under the NTA-funded 35% Key Priority Training Fund to train 200 students on the National Certificate: Wholesale and Retail NQF Level 2 qualification. The first group of trainees started their training on 1 August 2016, and topics such as interacting with cus-

tomers, basic business English, maths literacy, operating in a wholesale and re-tail environment, marking merchandise and maintaining displays, are included in the 21 module course.

“We believe that we will be able to make a significant impact in the whole-sale and retail sector by upskilling and expanding the knowledge of the em-ployees currently in the industry. We are looking forward to the launch of the project and see this as one of the high-lights in the history of BSE” says Helga Busing-Volschenk of BSE.

* Any students or companies inter-ested in these training interventions, should contact Yolandi Booyens at 061 247879, or email [email protected]


Phase 2The Trans-Kalahari

Industrial Park proposed developments:

• Affordable housing for low to mid income

• Sport facilities• VET facilities

• Light Industrial• Manufacturing• Warehousing

• Small shopping mall / Retail

• Restaurant• Truck stop

Proudly developed by

Accolade Properties Namibia (Pty) Ltd

45 Feld Street, Klein WindhoekPO Box 26585, WindhoekTel: +264 (0) 61 222 891

Cell: +264 (0) 81 351 2684www.sungate.ws

Accolade: * Strong praise or approval

* An award or honour / Living up to our name, building our reputation

Trans-Kalahari Industrial Park

Sungate promotes

Sustainable Land Use in its drive

to support Corridor Development

through Smart Partnerships.

Providing Serviced Land for the

establishment of a Trade and

Logistics hub at the new Airport

City. Using Green Technology

based on an existing ‘Mixed-Use’

Land Use Plan that incorporates

National Sector Plans, while

encouraging development around

a central Train Station and

Transportation Hub adjacent to the

Hosea Kutako International Airport.

New development at Hosea Kutako“That Namibia is strategi-

cally positioned as a trade route to serve global mar-

kets to and from the SADC region is not news, and that Namibia needs to expand the Hosea Kutako International Airport to position itself as a key aviation player in Africa is also not unknown, but that Sungate is now positioned to be the next Airport City of Africa?” – that is news, says Danie de Wet, general man-ager of Accolade Properties Namibia (APN).

The concept of an Airport City was motivated by de-velopmental changes in the global economy that instigat-ed new growth paths locally. Essentially, Namibia has the potential to be at the centre of transport and logistics as it offers access to the whole of southern Africa. Namibia's critical location means that it is poised to be the new gate-way into Africa.

Sungate is perfectly locat-ed at the converging point of road, rail, and air trans-port, with the Trans-Kalahari highway and Trans-Kalahari railway passing through en route to Botswana and the rest of SADC. Adjacent to the ex-panding Hosea Kutako Inter-national Airport, Sungate City will become the centre point for airport and transport-relat-ed activities, global trade and tourism growth.

With these enablers, Sun-gate embraces the Airport City concept as a way to support government’s social and economic goals for the country. We are currently en-gaging with government on this point as this development will unlock potential for the economy in terms of new and innovative infrastructure de-velopment in the interest of Namibia as well as focus on service delivery, poverty re-duction, employment creation and inequality reduction.

Sungate City is perfect for setting up new businesses or expanding when serving in the transport, cargo, freight, logistics, tourism, light indus-try, and SME development sectors of the economy.

Sungate City will further cater for various industries such as commercial, retail, residential, leisure and light industrial development which has, until recently, been un-available at the airport. Hotels and convention facilities are another expanding business at Airport Cities. Suitably, the magnitude of these types of developments are closely related to passenger volumes at an airport.

This brings me to Sungate City living. Our city’s design and layout caters for a vari-ety of residential areas and/or clustering of housing. The concept we are promoting is that of ancient cities where people can work, play and stay in the same neighbour-hood. Due to this fact, peo-ple would be able to walk from home to work and on their way back can stop at the nearest bakery or grocery store before going home. We encourage community living where members will have access to public parks and play grounds, common living areas and walkways, and dedicated bicycle lanes. There will also be alternative commuting services available for short distance travelling in and around town at scheduled time frames to ensure ease of traffic movement.

Project detailsThe site is 408 hectares

in total, with approximate-ly 220 hectares that can be developed. The project has been formally proclaimed as a township in 2012. Sungate is effectively a private town and responsible for its own service installations such as water, electricity, internal roads, and sewer systems. Furthermore, Sungate is re-sponsible for the long-term maintenance of infrastruc-ture, which is owned by the Sungate Owners Association.

This Section 21 non-profit organisation, which owners become members of on trans-fer, acts as the legal Manage-ment Company of Sungate. This gives the city’s members valuable control over the city’s destiny.

The Sungate Owners As-sociation is furthermore re-sponsible for building plan approvals that follows a quick and easy Design Review Pro-cess which is in place to assist community members in get-ting their plans approved to a specific standard.

The opportunity is now Land Price and Usability:

Sungate currently offers max-imum benefits to buyers per square metre, with substan-tial flexibility of use. Current prices range between N$750 per square and N$1 100 per square for serviced land.

Accessibility: Sungate’s perfect location at Hosea Ku-tako International Airport on the Trans-Kalahari highway offers you the ideal platform to do business in Africa and the rest of the world.

Water and Electricity: Bulk services are installed and available with 0% down-time experienced since activation.

Ownership: Full title own-ership is given. Sungate is managed as an urban design town development and is governed by the Urban De-sign Framework and Guide-lines, managed by the Design Review Panel.

Property Development Opportunities: As a mixed-use development in this prime position, it caters to both lo-cal and international business

needs. Business Develop-ment Opportunities: As a business centre, Sungate will cater to various industries, namely commercial, retail, residential, leisure and light industrial.

Timing: Services to the first phase were completed in May 2014, so transfer can happen immediately, and cli-ents can commence construc-tion once the Review Panel has approved the plans. In other words, a business can be operational in a short space of time.

tomers, basic business English, maths literacy, operating in a wholesale and re-tail environment, marking merchandise and maintaining displays, are included in the 21 module course.

“We believe that we will be able to make a significant impact in the whole-sale and retail sector by upskilling and expanding the knowledge of the em-ployees currently in the industry. We are looking forward to the launch of the project and see this as one of the high-lights in the history of BSE” says Helga Busing-Volschenk of BSE.

* Any students or companies inter-ested in these training interventions, should contact Yolandi Booyens at 061 247879, or email [email protected]

Danie de Wet, General Manager of Accolade Properties Namibia.


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All roads lead to Namport

multipurpose and break-bulk terminals; back-up storage areas and dry ports; small craft harbour with port control tower; and a new high capacity rail, road, pipeline and convey-or link to the municipal heavy industrial area be-hind Dune 7.

“The Namport mega projects show how far the government of Namibia, together with all our stake-holders, are willing to go to keep our operations in line with global standards. The projects are on target and within budget,” said Namport CEO Bisey Uir-ab.

RAILROADWhile Namport is de-

veloping its infrastructure to increase its capacity to handle local and interna-tional import and export cargo and traffic, other logistics infrastructure projects such as road, rail and air networks are being developed to streamline traffic flow to and from the port.

The TransKalahari pro-ject management office in Windhoek is expected to be commissioned soon to initiate the launch and management of the long-awaited multibillion-dollar 1 500km TransKalahari rail-way line to link landlocked Botswana's Mmamabula coal fields to Walvis Bay. Once this railway line is functioning, it is expected that 65 million tonnes of coal from Botswana will be handled at Namport annu-ally.

Most southern African countries are heavily in-vesting in railway expan-sions to transport more coal to ports to meet grow-ing global demand, espe-cially from Asia. Exporters in South Africa, a major exporter of coal to pow-er stations in Europe and Asia, have failed to ship all their export coal due to bottlenecks on the rail lines leading to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

CEO of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group Johny Smith previously told The Namibian that while the group is not directly in-volved in the project, it will be promoted for the benefit of SADC.

AIRPORT

In July, the N$100 mil-lion terminal for Walvis Bay International Airport was inaugurated. Besides the terminal, the airport also enjoys a N$250 mil-lion runway upgrade which allows it to handle larger aircraft and more air traf-fic.

• ADAM HARTMAN

THE adage of 'all roads lead to Rome' has been Namibianised to 'all roads lead to Namport', as this parastatal gears itself to become the port of choice for SADC's imports and exports.

Namibia is a country of just over two million people and the current developments of Na-mibia's infrastructure such as port facilities, airports, road and rail infrastructure will create the needed competitive edge to re-

alise the dream of becoming a logistics hub for the 300 million inhabitants of the subregion.

Namibia’s competitive ad-vantage is found in its stable and secure environment, its strategic geographical position, generous amount of land available for development and relatively effi-cient services.

With its deep water depth and stable weather conditions, the port of Walvis Bay is ideally lo-cated to accelerate the growth of Namibia and the SADC region

as a whole by providing a gate-way to the region, thus serving as a logistics hub.

CONTAINER TERMINAL

One of the key developments is the envisaged completion of the new container terminal at the port in early 2018, which will go a long way in estab-lishing Namibia as a regional logistics hub and will further support government’s intention to develop an industrialised economy.

For any port, capacity to han-dle various commodities is key, hence Namport's new contain-er terminal on reclaimed land, which is Namibia’s biggest ever port construction project since independence. The project is envisaged to pave the way for the port to more than double its container handling capacity from 350 000 containers to 750 000 containers per year. It will also expand the capacity for non-containerised cargo such as dry-bulk and break-bulk.

GATEWAY PORTAnother key development is

the SADC Gateway Port devel-opment – or 'North Port'.

A total of 1 330 hectares of new port land, compared to only 105 hectares of land at the cur-rent port will be developed into 10 000m of quay walls and jet-ties; 30 large berths; a ship and rig repair yard; oil and gas sup-ply base; dry-bulk terminal to handle over 100 million tonnes a year; car import terminal; liq-uid bulk terminal with berths;

The Namport mega projects show how far the government

of Namibia, together with all

our stakeholders, are willing to go to

keep our operations in line with global standards. The projects are on

target and within budget.


BOSS ... Namport CEO Bisey Uirab

CAPACITY ... Namport's new container terminal progress by June this year. It is expected to be completed in 2018. The new terminal will double Namport's container handling capacity from 350 000 containers to 750 000 containers per year. It will also expand the capacity for non-containerised cargo such as dry-bulk and break-bulk.WORKING ... An aerial view of Namport in its current state.

Namibia Airports Com-pany board chairperson Ndeuhala Lewis said the upgrades were necessary to deal with increased traffic transport demands for both people and goods, adding that the development of the airport was crucial to Namibia's socio-economic development.

The airport is considered a key component in Walvis Bay's aim to becoming a logistics hub in the SADC region and will be compli-mented by the new SADC Gateway Port and the up-grade of the Trans-Kala-hari Corridor from Walvis Bay to the rest of the re-gion.

Larger aeroplanes such as Boeing 747s and even the A380 Airbus can be ac-commodated at the airport and cargo and passenger numbers are expected to increase manifold.

ROAD NETWORKWith Namport's unprec-

edented developments to handle more traffic, cargo and heavy industrial busi-ness, there arises a demand for stronger modernised trans-corridors, especially the TransKalahari corridor that links Namport to the rest of SADC, which is used by about 2 500 truck-ers entering and exiting Namport every month. The current road network is too old and limited to deal with the growing volume of road freight to and from Namport to landlocked neighbouring states on the main trans-corridors.

In June and July two major road upgrades were launched, which directly impact port to road transits.

First, phase one of the 403 kilometres Henties Bay — Uis — Khorixas — Kamanjab road will be tarred and strengthened to handle heavy truck traffic towards the north and then into Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Secondly, the gravel road behind the dunebelt between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund will be up-graded to a tarred double lane highway, mainly for heavy transport from the port of Walvis Bay.

“We need reliable trans-port infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21st century. This would give us a competitive advan-tage in the SADC region. Our neighbours’ econo-mies are also growing and will put pressure on our infrastructure. This is why we must maintain it to en-sure streamlined trade be-tween our countries,” said transport minister Alpheus !Naruseb.

All roads lead to NamportGATEWAY PORT

Another key development is the SADC Gateway Port devel-opment – or 'North Port'.

A total of 1 330 hectares of new port land, compared to only 105 hectares of land at the cur-rent port will be developed into 10 000m of quay walls and jet-ties; 30 large berths; a ship and rig repair yard; oil and gas sup-ply base; dry-bulk terminal to handle over 100 million tonnes a year; car import terminal; liq-uid bulk terminal with berths;

Why MDC?

MDC is aimed at recovering the excess variable costs on the national road network which heavy vehicles are responsible for that cannot be recovered using fuel levies and vehicle licence/registration fees only. MDC ensures that owners of heavy vehicles pay their equitable share for the use of the Namibian road network. Calculations of MDC are done strictly according to accepted transport-economic principles.

Does MDC only apply to Namibian-registered vehicles?

MDC applies to all (local and foreign-registered) heavy vehicles with a carrying capacity of more than 3,500kg using the Namibian road network. Foreign-registered heavy vehicle owners/operators pay their MDC at the RFA’s of�ces located at the Namibian border posts when they exit the country.

Where and how should local owners/operators of heavy vehicles register for MDC?

All owners/operators of heavy vehicles registered in Namibia, with a V/DT rating of above 3,500kg must register by completing the prescribed MDC registration form, obtainable from the RFA or any registering authority (i.e. NaTIS) closest to them. Registration forms are also downloadable from the RFA website. Upon registration the owner/operator will be issued with a logbook at no charge. These logbooks should be kept safe and in the vehicle at all times. The driver must record the distances travelled in kilometres in the logbook and ensure that it is updated.

Determination of Payment

The RFA will in accordance with the distance indicated on the MDC registration form, determine the �rst date of liability for payment, and the intervals at which the owner/operator should pay the MDC. Owners/operators are required to complete their assessments on the prescribed assessment form for the period under review. All assessments can be handed in directly at the RFA’s head of�ce in Windhoek, accompanied by the original log sheets and original proof of payment. Of�cials of the RFA will verify and process the information, and a proof of payment will be issued within forty-eight hours once all information has been veri�ed as correct.

Vehicle Licence renewal

If the owner of a MDC liable vehicle applies for the license renewal of that vehicle he/she should provide proof of payment for MDC to the registering authority before a new licence disk can be issued.

Law enforcement

The driver of a MDC liable vehicles must present the logbook to law enforcement of�cers upon request. In the event that the logbook is not in the vehicle or incomplete, such driver might be �ned on the spot or face prosecution.

Namibian-registered heavy vehicles are obligated to pay Mass Distance Charges (MDC) The RFA according to its enabling Act, RFA Act (Act 18 of 1999), under section 18(1)(b) and Government Notice 3816 of 30 March 2007, (Imposition of Road User Charges), is authorised to collect Mass Distance Charges (MDC) on all vehicles with a carrying capacity of more than 3,500kg.

Contact details:Road Fund Administration21 Feld Street Windhoek, NamibiaTel: +264 - 61 - 433 3000 E-mail: [email protected]: www.rfanam.com.na

Table B: Mass Distance Charges (Travelling Distance Charges) for heavy vehicles(From 6 June 2016)

Charge Level Vehicle Type Vehicle Description Not equipped to draw Equipped to draw MDC

N$ per 100 km

1Bus

Minibus, designed for 17 to 35 persons, including the driver

V value: More than 3,500 kg & less than or equal to 7,000 kg

D value: More than 3,500 kg & less or equal to 7,000 kg 5.90

1Goods vehicle

Single-unit truckV value: More than 3,500 kg & less than or equal to 7,000 kg


2

Bus




2Goods vehicle



3Bus

Bus, or bus-train de-signed for 35, persons including the driver

V value:More than 16,000 kg

D value:More than 16,000 kg 12.90

3

Goods vehicle

Single-unit truck

V value:More than 16,000 kg & less than or equal to 34,000 kg


12.90

3

Goods vehicle

Truck-tractor n.a.D value:More than 16,000 kg & less than or equal to 34,000 kg

12.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

5

Goods vehicle

Truck-tractor n.a. D value:More than 44,000 kg 38.80



N$ per 100 km

1Bus




1Goods vehicle



2

Bus




2Goods vehicle



3Bus




3

Goods vehicle

Single-unit truck



12.90

3

Goods vehicle


12.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

5

Goods vehicle




N$ per 100 km

1Bus




1Goods vehicle



2

Bus




2Goods vehicle



3Bus




3

Goods vehicle

Single-unit truck



12.90

3

Goods vehicle


12.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

5

Goods vehicle




N$ per 100 km

1Bus




1Goods vehicle



2

Bus




2Goods vehicle



3Bus




3

Goods vehicle

Single-unit truck



12.90

3

Goods vehicle


12.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

4

Goods vehicle


25.90

5

Goods vehicle



DM Freight Logistics Solutions was established in 2013 — as a wholly Namibian owned

enterprise, specialising in freight forwarding. The company has offices in Windhoek and Walvis Bay for import and export services of freight by road, sea and air. We spoke to David Nangombe from DM Freight to find out more about the company.

The various services offered specifically are freight forwarding, import, export, logistics consultancy and customs clearing. For a freight forwarding company, service delivery is a crucial must, and the importance of this is the drive to constantly obtain a high level of delivery.

DM also strives to encourage the constant development of their staff, which in turn can translate to the sustainable growth of their stakeholders. The company also aims to embrace their social and

environmental responsibility within Namibia.

The freight forwarding industry has made significant development in terms of technological advancements such as data collection and the radio frequency identification system (RFID) that has enabled the efficient movement of consignments both small and large. Freight forwarding companies use these technologies and many others to deliver efficient services.

DM Freight Logistics Solutions have positioned their business strategy to the demands and realities of the industry. Their services are based upon the reliable and excellent delivery towards their market, with further support through their professionalism and astute business strategies. DM regularly aims to measure the milestones that they have set to ensure that they remain relevant as a valuable contributor in the freight movement

sector.The freight and logistics industry has

a vital role in the Namibia economic scene in terms of the proposed industrial growth of the economy. In order to execute government’s “Growth at Home” strategy, emphasis has been placed upon the efficient movement of freight. Since Namibia offers gateways, freighting becomes the means to further solidify this attribute of the Namibian economy. If this is implemented correctly, the freight and logistics sector has the ability to contribute 4,6% to the nation’s GDP.

In terms of being competitive in the international arena, the local freight and logistics industry should have the ability to link and trade with other countries.

The existence of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group aims to promote the transport network of the Walvis

DM Freight has the solutions

• NDANKI KAHIURIKA

WOMEN are not an unfamiliar sight at the Kranzberg-Tsumeb railway rehabilitation site at Otjiwarongo.

The rail rehabilitation is being carried out by D&M Rail Construction, a company contracted by the government in 2012 to carry out the rehabilitation of the railway network, which resulted in the employment of 400 workers of whom some are women.

The company was recently reported by The Namibian to have entered into a multi-million-dollar agreement with TransNamib in 2014 without stipulating when this agreement would end. Following this, the company held a media day last week and gave journalists a tour on site to introduce them to the kind of work they do.

Early last Friday, journalists were taken to the site outside Otjiwarongo on the road to Otavi, where the workers were rehabilitating the railway. Several females could be spotted working on the site.

The Namibian spoke to Susanna Kokule (49), a mother of two who has been working on the rail since 2012. She said she earns up to N$3 000 per month, a sum that helps her put bread on the table for her family who lives at Otjiwarongo's informal settlement Ombili.

When asked how it feels to work in a male dominated environment, Kokule said she is getting by just fine despite the fact that they are looked down upon as women.

“It is very hard but we have no choice but to work here as we need the money. We get N$ 3 000 a month which is not enough but it keeps us going,” she said.

Another female worker, Olivia Johannes, (45) said she also lives at Ombili and is raising five children.

“Whether the work is hard or simple, it is better than nothing,” she said.

Other women who spoke to The Namibian on

Bay corridors – the port at Walvis Bay, Trans-Kalahari corridor, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Cunene and the Trans-Oranje. It is for this reason that the WBCG had been established.

The Walvis Bay Corridor Group initiative aimed at becoming a leading trade route in southern Africa facilitated a boost in

trade, freight & logistics services through the development of reliable and safe infrastructure along the corridors.

* For more information on DM Freight Logistics Solutions Services, log onto www.dmfreight.com.na or contact us on +264 811 271 492, and +264 818 340 911 or email us at [email protected]

FOLLOW THE PIPER ... Willy Kharab sings as his colleagues listen and follow his instructions of where they should go. The workers are about to place the rail onto the concrete sleepers.

WORKING HARD ... Some female workers were seen at one of the sections where rehabilitation is taking place on the Kranzberg-Tsumeb railwayline. In these photos the women carry out lighter duties of laying down springs which will be used to tie the rail onto the concrete sleepers.

Women in a men's world

the site further up the road to Otavi said they do not carry out heavy work that men are supposed to do.

Some were seen placing lighter materials on the rails while the male workers lifted heavy rails.

One of the workers, who is referred to as the gang leader, Willie Kharab, (29) said the songs they sing when they move the rails serve as a way to instruct the workers to move in unison.

“It helps the workers maneuvre the rails. The songs are like our own signal language,” he said.

Dawie Moller, the company's managing director, said they have been able to train two female workers for the first time in 2014 to take on more challenging work on the rail.

The two are Petronella Hamutenya (22) and Nancy Pekana (26) who both get paid N$6 000 per month.

He said he finds women to have great leadership abilities and is glad to have trained some of them.

According to Moller, the environment is very labour intensive and workers are dropped off at the respective sites early in the morning.

“Some are even dropped off at 04h0O in the

morning to get the job done and in the meantime all trains need to be halted until the job is done for that day,” said Moller.

Hamutenya said she is very happy to be challenging the myth that some work is only for men.

“We as women need to bring our side. It feels good to be independent and being able to support our families,” she said.

D&M Rail Construction entered into a joint venture with TransNamib in 2014 to form a company called Namibia Rail Construction, in which D&M rail is the operating partner.

Founded in 1994 as D&M Tracks to service the private sector, the company is currently the only privately owned entity to undertake major local railway projects in Namibia.

D&M Rail Construction is shareholding is made up of James Hatuikulipi (60%); John Walenga (30%), while D&M Tracks owns the remaining 10%.

The company has been able to provide services for clients such as Dundee Mining, Namport, Rössing Uranium, Namib Mills, Ohorongo Cement and Chico, a Chinese firm, among others.

GIRL POWER ... D&M Rail Construction's female engineer Esther Uusiku measures the rail's height while her two colleagues who are plate layers, Petronela Hamutenya and Nancy Pekana, watch her.

Services:

✔ Import and Export We import and export all sorts of goods from neighbouring countries and international countries.✔ Customs Clearance DM Freight is a specialist logistic service provider handling all aspects of importation and exportation, customs clearance and onward delivery.

✔ Freight Forwarding – Road, Air, Sea As a leader in global air freight forwarding, DM Freight Logistics Solutions excels in providing tailored Road, Air and Sea Freight forwarding.

✔ Logistics Consultancy As a leader in logistics consultancy, DM Freight excels in providing the best consultation when it comes to logistics

AddressDM Freight Logistics SolutionsHosea Kutako International Airport Gate 3

Contact usP.O. Box 302825, Voltaire Street, Academia, Windhoek

Cell: +264 81 834 0911 / +264 81 127 1492Email: [email protected]

SHINING LIGHTS... (from left) Severus Joel, Rencia Aoses, Aina Iyambo and David Nangombe (Business Development)


SOME PRODUCTION STATISTICS New 48 kg/m rails installed 1 267 tonP2 concrete sleepers installed 178 10430 kg/m rail re-worked and re-installed 6 846 tonBush clearing 336 haP2 concrete sleepers offloaded 294 474Ballast offloaded 116 411 m³Mechanized tamping (maintenance ) 165 kmManual tamping (maintenance) 442 kmBroken rails replaced 560Broken fishplates replaced 2 132Corrective welding on repair rail defects (Surface &wheel spin, battered ends) 27 926Culverts upgraded 535Rail Exothermic Welds (joining of rails) 10 745

The railway line from Kranzberg to Tsumeb covers a main line distance of 392 km and connects the Port of Walvis bay and the Walvis bay – Windhoek main line with the Northern parts of Namibia where major industries such as Ohorongo Cement Namibia’s only cement plant) and Dundee Precious Metals (Producer of Blister Copper and Sulphuric Acid) are located . It also serves the rail heads at the Namibia/Angola Border (Oshikango) and Grootfontein/Tsumeb for intermodal traffic to Zambia and DRC.

This line was converted from narrow gauge to Cape Gauge during the mid 1960’s and was at the time constructed at branch line standards. As rail traffic patterns changed significantly in the post independence period, the Kranzberg-Tsumeb line now has the highest traffic density after the Windhoek-WVB route.

The light rail materials ( 30 kg jointed track on 30 kg steel sleepers and poor ballast) deteriorated with the rapid increase in traffic to a point where passenger traffic had to be abandoned and speed restrictions were imposed on most of the route distance. Derailments reached critical proportions at the end of 2011.

This line has become critically important for the viability of TransNamib due to its

traffic levels and high growth potential. Windhoek Consulting Engineers (WCE)

were appointed in 2010 as consulting engineers for the upgrading of this whole route to modern day, 18,5 ton axle load standards. D&M Rail Construction was contracted from Dec 2011-March 2013 to carry out emergency repairs to this line after a series of derailments and succeeded to stabilize the situation at that time. This was only a short term measure as the line continued to deteriorate with increased traffic levels. D&M Rail Construction was contracted in 2013 to execute large scale repairs and rehabilitation to ensure the line remained operational for current traffic and as preparation for the transport of sulphuric acid in excess of 200 000 ton per annum as from 2014/15.

Full scale upgrading could not commence as funding had first to be applied to keep the line open as first priority with the upgrading process to follow as and when more funds could be made available and the whole line was brought to a safe operational standard as an interim medium term measure. The rehabilitation and major repair program as referred to above, included the upgrading of sub-sections of the route where the old track materials could not be rehabilitated to an acceptable safety standard.

D&M Rail Construction succeeded to meet the objectives of the current program by bringing the line to an operationally safe standard and satisfying the needs of the investors in the major sulphuric acid plant by Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb, and the acid transport commenced on rail as planned in 2015.

No further track related derailments occurred on this line since start of the program which is a major achievement taken into account the condition of the rail track materials which have to be monitored continuously for failures followed by quick response actions. Close co-operation with TransNamib rail maintenance and operations departments are always a priority and a major contributor to these successes.

D&M Rail gives preference to labour intensive methods which is the right approach in a Country with a very high unemployment rate. Labour is recruited from the communities in the vicinity of the works areas.

To address the skills shortage in the railway construction sector, D&M Rail set up its own training school for semi-skilled and skilled grades and provides bursaries to Engineering students whom are taken up in our employ after graduation.

Kranzberg-Tsumeb Railway Line Compiled by

D&M Rail Construction (WC DEMPSEY)

PROGRESS TO DATEDESCRIPTION QTYTrack fully upgraded with 48 kg/m rails, concrete sleepers, full ballast profile, continuous weld-ed track

13.2 km

Track partially upgraded with 30 kg/m rails ( re-worked) , concrete sleepers, full ballast profile, continuous welded track

114.1 km

Track rehabilitated : Repair of defects and replacement of defective components only 182.4 km

• Construction• Relaying of railway lines• Maintenance

• Manufacturing of concrete panels for ballast-less track

• Loading, securing and offloading of

bulk rail equipment• Railway engineering• Supply of material and rolling stock

D&M Rail: Keeping Namibia on Track

35 John Ludwig Street, Klein Windhoek • PO Box 830, Windhoek, NAMIBIATel: +264 61 402 371 • Fax: +264 61 402 480

Email: [email protected] • Web: www.dmrail.com

Women in a men's world

morning to get the job done and in the meantime all trains need to be halted until the job is done for that day,” said Moller.

Hamutenya said she is very happy to be challenging the myth that some work is only for men.

“We as women need to bring our side. It feels good to be independent and being able to support our families,” she said.

D&M Rail Construction entered into a joint venture with TransNamib in 2014 to form a company called Namibia Rail Construction, in which D&M rail is the operating partner.

Founded in 1994 as D&M Tracks to service the private sector, the company is currently the only privately owned entity to undertake major local railway projects in Namibia.

D&M Rail Construction is shareholding is made up of James Hatuikulipi (60%); John Walenga (30%), while D&M Tracks owns the remaining 10%.

The company has been able to provide services for clients such as Dundee Mining, Namport, Rössing Uranium, Namib Mills, Ohorongo Cement and Chico, a Chinese firm, among others.

GIRL POWER ... D&M Rail Construction's female engineer Esther Uusiku measures the rail's height while her two colleagues who are plate layers, Petronela Hamutenya and Nancy Pekana, watch her.


“MORE A PARTNER THAN JUST A SUPPLIER”

SOUTHERN AFRICA’S LEADING SUPPLIER OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:

CROSBY CHAINS & LIFTING COMPONENTS

BRIDON HIGH PERFORMANCE WIRE ROPES

BRIDON HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBRE ROPES

FLOATS, FENDERS & BUOYS SPLICING, SWAGING & SOCKETING MARINE HARDWARE

CHAIN, WEBBING & WIRE SLINGS

TOWING GROMMETS

NETTING, TWINES & FIBRE ROPES

RIGGING SERVICES

SPOOLING SERVICES

BLOCKS REPAIR, REFURBISHMENT AND TESTING

200t HORIZONTAL TEST BED

LEEA* QUALIFIED ITS LIFTING EQUIPMENT EXAMINERS

*LIFTING EQUIPMENT ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION (UK)

Ben Amathilla Ave. Walvis Bay+264 (0)64 [email protected] Eiland, Cape Town+27 (0)21 [email protected]

photo: jack dempsey transport - the namibian29 september 2016 2 transport & logistics w elcome...

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