The Sunday News
IN a move meant to enhance regional integration while easing the logistical challenges associated with customs clearing and forwarding of goods within the region, a leading customs clearing and freight forwarding agent based in Namibia has opened its offices in Zimbabwe.
Uunongo Logistics, a subsidiary of Uunongo Technologies CC, is headquartered in Walvis Bay, Namibia, and has regional offices in several countries among them Zambia, Botswana and Angola.
“We are pleased to announce that Uunongo Logistics has since introduced the Port to City Delivery Services of vehicles from Walvis Bay port, Namibia to Victoria Falls and Plumtree border posts for the Zimbabwean customers. Now Zimbabwean customers can use Uunongo Logistics to order their cars, have them get cleared at Walvis Bay and forwarded or delivered to Zimbabwean border posts — Plumtree, Victoria Falls or Kazungula. In the past, it was nearly impossible to order cars via the internet in Africa without encountering all kinds of problems. Today, Uunongo Logistics has eased all these challenges,” said Mr Abed Nakalenga, the company’s managing director.
Significant growth has been experienced on the Walvis Bay Corridors for imports to Zimbabwe during the past two years.
Other consignments being transported by Uunongo Logistics through this corridor include frozen and canned fish, frozen chicken, timber, furniture, equipment, salt, toiletries, and other consumables.
He said there was a need for landlocked countries to gain access through alternative trade routes to and from the sea arguing it was imperative and beneficial to importers and exporters since it reduced time and cost resulting in savings, high reliability, and cargo security.
“The Uunongo Logistics Port to City Delivery services through Walvis Bay work out much cheaper than importing through Durban by between $500 and $800. For cash-strapped Zimbabweans, that’s a huge saving,” he added.
Zimbabwe’s trade volumes through the Port of Walvis Bay have grown significantly to more than 3 000 tonnes of cargo per month.
The Walvis Bay Corridor also serves as a real alternative to linking Zimbabwe to Europe, North and South America.
