Walvis bay: Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses has welcomed the development of a new truck parking and staging facility, saying it will address long-standing logistical challenges in the port town and support the region’s economic and infrastructure growth. Speaking during a stakeholder engagement on Tuesday, |Goagoses said she is satisfied with the project’s technical and financial capacity, as well as its alignment with national development goals.

According to Namibia Press Agency, |Goagoses noted that the initiative complements the government’s broader ambitions to position Namibia as a competitive logistics hub for the Southern African region. ‘I have done the consultations with the relevant ministries and my principals, what I am sharing today is fully sanctioned and aligned with the national government. This project is timely, relevant and critical for regulating the movement of trucks and improving logistics flow,’ she said.

Goagoses highlighted that with an unemployment rate of 32 per cent in the region, almost half of whom are young people, the project is expected to create job opportunities and drive local economic inclusion. She urged the developers to prioritise employing local youth and to collaborate closely with community leadership during the recruitment process.

The planned truck park and staging facility will be developed in Walvis Bay’s Farm 38 by Kwa Nokeng Oil (NKNO) Fuels on a six-hectare piece of land recently approved by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. The facility will offer modern parking, rest areas, and technological systems integrated with port operations to ensure the efficient movement of trucks in and out of the harbour.

Namport Chief Executive Officer Andrew Kanime described the project as a ‘long overdue’ private sector investment that will ease congestion and support the port’s operations. He said the absence of a formal staging area had previously led to trucks parking haphazardly around town, creating logistical, social and environmental challenges. ‘This facility complements our new five-lane entry gate system and digital traffic management. It will help us handle growing truck volumes efficiently,’ Kanime said.

Director of Operations at NKNO, Dries Oberholzer, said the facility, to be constructed near the new dual carriageway, will initially accommodate up to 160 trucks, with expansion potential to 300. ‘We are delivering a modern, secure facility with digital vehicle control, CCTV, lighting, and access systems to streamline port traffic,’ he noted.