In a resounding affirmation of its strategic vision, the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has announced its highest container throughput volumes in over a decade for the 2024/2025 financial year, cementing its vital role as a regional trade enabler. The ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz collectively handled a remarkable 253,996 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), marking a substantial 33% year-on-year surge. This translates to an impressive increase of 82,845 TEUs compared to the previous year, shattering long-standing records and signaling a significant shift in cargo flows towards Namibian gateways.
This landmark achievement, highlighted in Namport’s latest operational review, represents far more than a simple uptick in boxes moved. It stands as a testament to the Authority’s sustained strategy of infrastructure enhancement, cargo diversification, and deepened collaboration with key industry stakeholders, all aimed at positioning Namibia as a premier logistics hub for Southern Africa. Namport explicitly linked the record volumes to its “operational agility, strategic foresight in attracting high value cargo volumes, ongoing investments in port infrastructure, and strong collaborations with cargo carriers and cargo owners.” Crucially, these efforts have “collectively contributed to the successful diversion of traffic from competing ports in the region to Namibia’s ports.”
The surge in containerized cargo occurred alongside a broader trend of solid growth across Namport’s operations. Total cargo throughput across both ports reached 8.42 million tons for the year ended March 31, 2025, representing a healthy 4.8% increase from the 8.03 million tons handled in the previous year. This overall growth underscored the sustained strength across bulk, break-bulk, containerised, and liquid cargo segments, bolstered by diversification and targeted infrastructure improvements. A notable highlight was the mining sector’s continued strong contribution, with significant increases in exports of copper concentrate, zinc concentrate, and uranium oxide concentrate. Imports also surged by 7.1%, driven significantly by gains in fertilizer, Sulphur, ammonium nitrate, petroleum, wheat, and machinery, primarily fueled by a 12.8% increase in bulk and break-bulk (BBB) cargo landed volumes.
While both ports contributed to the container milestone, their individual performances revealed distinct dynamics. The Port of Walvis Bay, despite experiencing a slight 5.7% decline in overall exports, achieved significant milestones beyond the container boom. It marked the historic first-time export of key critical minerals such as nickel and zinc concentrates, positioning Namibia as an emerging player in the global mineral supply chain. The port also recorded notable gains in specific export commodities like salt bulk, copper and lead concentrates, charcoal, wooden products, marble, and granite. Conversely, the Port of Lüderitz witnessed a remarkable 21.7% surge in its total cargo volumes, rising from 1.21 million tons to 1.47 million tons year-on-year. This growth was primarily driven by a significant rise in imports, including empty containers, petroleum products, wet fish, and machinery, reflecting increased activity across several sectors. Although Lüderitz’s total exports declined by 5.4%, this was partially offset by steady year-on-year growth in key commodities such as zinc ore, frozen fish, and ice.
An intriguing operational trend accompanied the record container volumes: the total number of vessel calls at Namport’s ports actually declined by 13% year-on-year. However, this reduction in vessel traffic was effectively offset by a concurrent increase in vessel gross tonnage. This shift clearly indicates a move towards larger, higher-capacity vessels, particularly prominent at the Port of Walvis Bay, demonstrating improved operational efficiency in handling bigger ships and larger cargo parcels per call. While the core cargo operations thrived, auxiliary services showed mixed results. Namport’s Syncrolift repair facilities saw occupancy at the repair jetties decrease from 96% to 75%, while repair bay occupancy remained relatively stable at 47% year-on-year. On a positive note, cruise tourism rebounded robustly at both ports, with increased international vessel calls, including the prestigious MSC Musica, further enhancing the ports’ roles in supporting Namibia’s growing tourism economy.
Namport was unequivocal in attributing its positive performance, especially the record container volumes, to the “collaborative efforts of its stakeholders.” This broad coalition includes the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, shipping lines, government agencies, cargo owners, and port users. The Authority also emphasized that the “dedication of Namport’s workforce and customer trust remain central to achieving its mandate.” Looking ahead, Namport reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to its strategic vision, stating it “remains firmly committed to its strategic vision of becoming Africa’s best-performing port and accelerating regional trade and economic integration” across Southern Africa. This commitment is backed by continued investment in both “soft and hard port infrastructure.” The decade-high container throughput is a powerful signal – not just of recovered volumes, but of Namibia’s accelerating prominence within global and regional supply chains, powered by its strategically located and increasingly efficient ports.