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This season, the shipment of table grapes through the port of Walvis Bay increased significantly, helping to ease pressure on Cape Town.
According to Herman Redelinghuys, head of grapes at Capespan, table grape exports via the Port of Walvis Bay nearly doubled this season compared to last year.
At an industry meeting, Redelinghuys reported that 3.62 million cartons were shipped through Walvis Bay this year, compared to 1.83 million cartons last year.
The increase was mainly due to more container vessels calling at the port. This season, seven vessels arrived at Walvis Bay, compared to just three last year.
"Vessels loaded and sailed every seven to ten days," Redelinghuys confirmed.
Before the season began, Capespan implemented a strategy to increase shipments through Walvis Bay due to ongoing issues with South African ports traditionally used by the company.
"The Walvis Bay port is operated by a private company, and the reliability of the additional MSC services out of Walvis Bay played a key role in our decision," Capespan stated.
The MSC service offers a direct voyage to Rotterdam and London Gateway with a transit time of 12 to 13 days. This is at least eight days shorter than the route from Cape Town, ensuring fresher fruit reaches its destination.
Redelinghuys highlighted that the increased vessel frequency had a positive impact on fruit dwell time.
"On average, fruit from Walvis Bay arrived at its destination seven days fresher compared to shipments from Cape Town," he explained.
He also noted that greater use of Walvis Bay had helped relieve pressure on the Cape Town port.
Redelinghuys emphasized that the distance to the port should be considered in commercial decisions.
"A longer distance to the port increases landside costs, which must be weighed against the benefits of faster arrival times," he added.
Logistics service provider GoGlobal, a leading company in Namibian grape exports, also increased its use of the Walvis Bay port.
CEO Delena Engelbrecht said the company had a successful season handling exports from Namibia through both Walvis Bay and Cape Town.
Namibia's total grape export volume reached around 9.2 million cartons, slightly below the forecast. Approximately 40% of the crop was shipped through Walvis Bay this season.
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February 4, 2025
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