UN/LOCODE: NAWVB📍 Namibia
Port of Walvis Bay (UN/LOCODE NAWVB)
❖ Coordinates: -22.9390°N, 14.5247°E
❖ Time Zone: Africa/Windhoek
❖ UN/LOCODE: NAWVB
## About the Port
The Port of Walvis Bay (UN/LOCODE: **NAWVB**) serves as Namibia’s principal deep-water gateway and the only natural deep-water harbor on the country’s 1,572 km coastline. Strategically positioned at latitude **22°56′S** and longitude **14°31′E** within the Erongo Region, the port operates in the **Africa/Windhoek** timezone (CAT, UTC+2). Its unique geography—sheltered by the Pelican Point sand spit—creates a vast, calm water basin of approximately 100 km², offering superior natural protection against the heavy Atlantic swells that characterize the Benguela Current system.
Managed by the **Namibian Ports Authority (Namport)**, a state-owned enterprise established under the Namibian Ports Authority Act, 1994 (Act 2 of 1994), Walvis Bay functions as a landlord port. It handles a diverse cargo mix ranging from bulk minerals and petroleum products to containerized reefer cargo and project cargo for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) hinterland. The port’s statutory limits encompass the commercial harbor, the fishing harbor, and the syncrolift facility, making it a multi-functional maritime hub critical to the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) logistics network.
## History
The history of Walvis Bay is defined by its geopolitical anomaly: for over a century, it existed as a British (later South African) exclave surrounded by German South West Africa, and subsequently by independent Namibia. European interest began in the late 18th century as a whaling station—hence the name "Whale Bay." Britain formally annexed the enclave in 1878, primarily to secure the guano islands and prevent German expansion.
Following World War I, the League of Nations mandated South West Africa to South Africa, which administered Walvis Bay as part of the Cape Province. This created a unique jurisdictional disconnect; the harbor remained South African sovereign territory even after Namibia achieved independence on March 21, 1990. The port became a focal point of intense diplomatic negotiation. Sovereignty was finally transferred to Namibia on **February 28, 1994**, following the establishment of the Joint Administrative Authority (JAA) in 1992.
Post-integration, Namport embarked on an aggressive modernization trajectory. The most transformative milestone was the **New Container Terminal (NCT) project**, completed in August 2019. This US$300 million expansion, partially financed by the African Development Bank, reclaimed 40 hectares of land from the sea, increasing annual container capacity from 350,000 TEU to 750,000 TEU and effectively future-proofing the port for Neo-Panamax class vessels.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
Walvis Bay’s infrastructure is segmented into distinct operational zones, each engineered for specific commodity flows.
### Commercial Harbor (Main Port)
The commercial harbor features **11 commercial berths** with a total quay length exceeding 2.3 km.
* **Container Terminal (Berths 1–4):** The NCT offers a 730-meter straight quay with a design depth of **-16.5 meters Chart Datum (CD)**, serviced by 6 Post-Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes (outreach 50m, SWL 65t twin-lift) and 18 Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes. The terminal utilizes a Terminal Operating System (TOS) integrated with the Port Community System (PCS) for paperless clearance.
* **General & Breakbulk Cargo (Berths 5–8):** Designed for conventional cargo, steel, and project cargo. Berth 8 is reinforced for heavy-lift operations (up to 500t/m²).
* **Dry Bulk Terminal (Berth 9):** Equipped with a continuous ship unloader (CSU) rated at 1,500 TPH for fertilizers and coal, feeding a 120,000-ton storage silo complex via conveyor.
* **Liquid Bulk (Berth 10 & 11):** Dedicated jetties for petroleum products (white oils, LPG) and bitumen, connected to the Namib Oil terminal farm via dedicated pipelines.
### Fishing Harbor
Located north of the commercial harbor, this specialized facility accommodates the **largest commercial fishing fleet in Africa**. It features 1.2 km of quayage, ice plants, cold storage (-25°C), and on-site processing factories. It handles ~500,000 MT of fish annually, primarily horse mackerel, hake, and monkfish.
### Syncrolift & Ship Repair
Operated by **Elgin Brown & Hamer (EBH) Namibia**, the syncrolift is the largest in Africa, with a lifting capacity of **2,200 tonnes** and a platform of 100m x 22m. It services the offshore oil & gas support vessel fleet, fishing trawlers, and naval vessels, supported by 4 graving docks and extensive engineering workshops.
### Rail & Road Connectivity
The port is the terminus of the **TransNamib** railway network. A dedicated marshalling yard inside the port precinct handles 40-wagon block trains. The **Walvis Bay–Windhoek–Gobabis** corridor links to the Trans-Kalahari Highway, providing the shortest route to Gauteng (South Africa’s industrial heartland), 1,500 km away—saving 800 km versus Durban.
## Economic Importance
Walvis Bay is the **logistical linchpin of the Namibian economy**, contributing an estimated **3–4% of national GDP** directly through port dues, stevedoring, and logistics services, with a multiplier effect exceeding 15% when hinterland trade facilitation is calculated.
As the primary export conduit for **uranium (Rossing, Husab), zinc (Skorpion), copper, gold, and diamonds**, the port handles ~5.5 million metric tonnes of cargo annually (FY2023/24). It is the designated gateway for the **Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG)** initiatives—specifically the Trans-Cunene, Trans-Kalahari, and Trans-Caprivi corridors—facilitating trade for landlocked SADC members: **Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the DRC**.
The port is a major employer in the Erongo region, sustaining ~2,500 direct jobs (Namport, EBH, stevedores, clearing agents) and an estimated 15,000 indirect jobs in logistics, trucking, and fisheries. The **Namibian Ports Authority** operates on a commercial basis without state subsidies, generating surplus revenue reinvested into infrastructure (e.g., the NCT) and regional port development (Lüderitz).
Strategically, the port anchors Namibia’s **Blue Economy** strategy. The development of the **Walvis Bay Logistics Hub** and the proposed **Green Hydrogen Hub (Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project)**—targeting 300,000 tonnes/year of green ammonia export—positions NAWVB as a future global energy bunkering hub.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Primary Trade Lanes
Walvis Bay sits on the **Asia–West Africa–South America** triangular routing.
* **Far East Route:** Direct weekly calls by **Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, and ONE** connect NAWVB to Ningbo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Port Klang (transit ~21 days). This is the primary lane for containerized imports (machinery, vehicles, consumer goods) and reefer exports (grapes, dates, beef).
* **European Route:** Feeder services via **Tangier Med, Algeciras, or Rotterdam** (transit ~18–22 days) handle high-value reefer cargo (table grapes, blueberries) and mineral concentrates.
* **Regional/Feeder:** Coastal feeders link to **Cape Town, Durban, and Luanda**, facilitating Southern African customs union (SACU) cargo distribution.
### Major Cargo Profile (Annual Throughput Estimates)
| Cargo Category | Volume (Metric Tonnes) | Key Commodities | Trade Direction |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Dry Bulk** | ~2.8M | Salt, Gypsum, Coal, Fertilizer, Manganese | Export / Import |
| **Liquid Bulk** | ~1.5M | Petroleum (Petrol, Diesel, Jet A1), LPG, Bitumen | Import (Refined) |
| **Containers** | ~350k TEU | Reefer Fruit, Beef, Fish, Vehicles, Mining Machinery | Balanced |
| **Breakbulk** | ~400k | Project Cargo (Wind turbines, Mining plant), Steel, Timber | Import / Transit |
| **Fish** | ~500k | Frozen Horse Mackerel, Hake, Monkfish, Canned | Export |
**Transit Cargo Significance:** Approximately **30–35% of total throughput** is transit cargo destined for Botswana (via Trans-Kalahari), Zambia/Zimbabwe (via Trans-Caprivi), and the DRC (via Trans-Cunene). The port operates a **Transit Shed** and **Bonded Warehouse** regime under the **SACU** agreement, allowing duty-free movement of goods to landlocked neighbors. The efficiency of the **Border Post at Ariamsvlei (Namibia/South Africa)** and **Ngoma (Namibia/Botswana)** is critical to maintaining the corridor’s competitive transit times (Walvis Bay to Lusaka: ~5 days by road).
For real-time vessel schedules and tariff structures, stakeholders reference the official Namport↗ portal. Regional corridor performance metrics are tracked by the Walvis Bay Corridor Group↗.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
NAWVB
Country
Namibia
Province / Region
Erongo
Latitude
-22.938959
Longitude
14.524746
Timezone
Africa/Windhoek
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Walvis Bay?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Walvis Bay is NAWVB.
Where is Port of Walvis Bay located?
The Port of Walvis Bay is located in Namibia, Erongo. Its coordinates are -22.9390°N, 14.5247°E.
What time zone is Port of Walvis Bay in?
Port of Walvis Bay operates in the Africa/Windhoek time zone.
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About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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