The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has blamed the Red Sea crisis and geopolitical instability for the poor global ranking of its Walvis Bay port in the World Bank’s 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI).
While Namibia improved slightly from ranking 382 in 2023 to 376 out of 405 in the 2024 CPPI, the country fell from 293 in 2022.
The CPPI aims to provide an objective measure of container port performance, identify global trends in maritime container trade efficiency, and highlight where vessel time at ports could be improved.
“During the reporting period, the Red Sea crisis and geopolitical instability resulted in the rerouting of several global shipping lines around the Cape of Good Hope.
“This led to a significant increase in vessel traffic, including very large containers and other cargo vessels that would traditionally not sail along the Atlantic coast of Africa – were diverted to call at the Port of Walvis bay,” Namport says.
The Red Sea crisis, which began in 2023 caused by Yemen Houthi attacks over the Gaza war, affected shipping across the globe.
While ships heading to Asian markets chose the Cape of Good Hope route, the Port of Walvis Bay became a preferred choice for vessels seeking refuelling stops.
The port operator says this sudden influx placed additional operational demands on available marine resources, particularly tug and pilotage services, adding that larger ships also required extended manoeuvring time within the port basin.
The Erongo port’s ranking places it among the bottom 7% internationally, indicating that vessels spent significantly more time at the port than the global average for similar operations.
This leads to higher costs and reduced reliability for shippers.
“It is worth emphasising that most ports in southern Africa experienced similar challenges and recorded lower performance rankings in the 2024 CPPI,” Namport said in a press release yesterday.
The port operator argued that in comparison, Namibia’s ports showed a relative improvement over previous years, reflecting steady progress in operational capability and service delivery despite the global headwinds.
- Additional reporting by Republikein
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