BY FREDRICK BUCHANE
Cabinet has given preliminary approval for a N$4 billion partnership to establish an oil and gas logistics base at Walvis Bay, a move aimed at anchoring the country as a regional petroleum hub.
According to a Cabinet Action Letter dated 8 July 2025, the decision endorses, in principle, cooperation between the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport) and Angola’s Sonangol Integrated Logistics Services (Sonils) to develop an onshore supply base at the port.
Namport chief executive Andrew Kanime said the collaboration is grounded in a bilateral agreement between the two governments.
“Sonils is an Angolan state-owned company and is being considered for the development of the oil and gas supply base at the Port of Walvis Bay through a public–public partnership as provided for in the bilateral agreement signed between the Angolan and Namibian governments,” Kanime said.
The project is estimated to cost about N$4 billion.
Cabinet’s support follows President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state visit to Angola in May, during which she toured Sonils’ Luanda facilities to study Angola’s 30-year-old “one-stop-shop” petroleum logistics model.
Documents indicate that Sonils has been lobbying for the deal.
An advisory note to the president, dated 23 March 2025 and signed by Sonils managing director Anabela Marcos, pitched the partnership as a “natural evolution” of Namibia and Angola’s historic ties – moving from solidarity to shared economic opportunity.
The note warned that, without a dedicated logistics base, Namibia risks losing oversight of offshore operations, as well as potential jobs and revenue, because equipment and personnel are shipped directly to rigs. It proposed that Sonils finance and build the base in phases in exchange for a Namport land concession, giving Namibia more control over oil and gas movements, protecting employment and environmental standards, and helping to capture revenue.
As a next step, the Cabinet directed the ministries of Works and Transport, Industries, Mines and Energy, and the Office of the Attorney-General to prepare a formal cooperation agreement for final approval. The supply base forms part of Namibia’s Vision 2030 ambition to position itself as a logistics hub for Southern Africa while maximising benefits from its emerging oil and gas sector. nbr
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