Two major port platforms: the Port Autonome de Pointe-Noire (PAPN) and the Port of Walvis Bay, operated by the Namibian Port Authority (NAMPORT) seal a strategic partnership

The Port Autonome de Pointe-Noire (PAPN) and the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport), which manages the Port of Walvis Bay, officially strengthened their ties on 21 August 2026 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing ceremony was held under the patronage of the diplomatic authorities of the Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Namibia, including Congo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and Congolese Abroad, Constant Mbounda, and Namibia’s Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi.

The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Séraphin Bhalat, Director General of the Port Autonome de Pointe-Noire, who welcomed the two ministers and reaffirmed the shared ambition of both nations: to facilitate maritime trade between the Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Namibia.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the memorandum signed between PAPN and Namport for the Port of Walvis Bay, Mr. Bhalat stated that the partnership is a tangible example of African economic integration and the growing dynamism of cooperation among the continent’s ports. Through this maritime agreement, the two logistics giants have laid the foundation for a long-term strategic partnership aimed at promoting technical expertise exchange, sharing operational best practices in port management, facilitating trade and logistics flows, and enhancing the competitiveness of their ports.

The Port of Pointe-Noire, the principal maritime gateway for the Republic of the Congo and several landlocked countries in Central Africa, and the Port of Walvis Bay, a strategic gateway for landlocked countries in Southern Africa, are naturally complementary hubs. Together, these two port platforms will further streamline trade between Central and Southern Africa.

Ultimately, this partnership reaffirms the commitment of the Republic of the Congo and Namibia to South-South cooperation and continental economic integration. By joining forces, both ports demonstrate their shared determination to expand intra-African maritime trade in support of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

By Antoine Dustell Mbama, Logis-T Africa Correspondent in the Republic of the Congo.