Namport's Chief Executive Officer has announced that the businesses operating at the Walvis Bay waterfront will be relocated to another area to better combine maritime activities with recreational and tourism activities.

Andrew Kanime said this during the Namibian Ports Authority Port Users Breakfast held at Walvis Bay.

Kanime explained that the Walvis Bay Waterfront, which is located in the extreme southern corner of the Port of Walvis Bay, was driven and developed by local entrepreneurs, providing a unique interface between the town and the sea.
 
Short-term leases were granted to various entities, such as tour operators and restaurant owners, with the understanding that Namport plans to establish a proper waterfront in the future.
 
This area now, he says, with its mix of temporary wooden structures, has a very specific charm and is popular with national and international tourists.
 
Namport, as the land owner, is committed to facilitating the development of a waterfront at the present waterfront area, which upon completion could become the main city and tourist attraction in Walvis Bay.

"We want to relocate businesses that are operating in that specific area to an area that is specifically earmarked, which we call the Marina Development; that is the area where, as I mentioned, we have appointed the service provider to install service utilities, and once those are in place, once we have finalized the roads there, we would then relocate them out."

Kanime added that due to the high demand for space, they have created additional capacity to accommodate more business.
 
"We will also be able to accommodate new businesses at the marina, and this is specifically targeting the informal economy. Our head of state always says no one should be left out, and the marina development is focusing on the SME sector and the informal economy."