DP World has declared a substantial $2 million investment in an advanced temperature-managed distribution center situated within the Deep Catch Namibia’s Atlantic Commercial Cold Store (ACCS) premises in Walvis Bay.
This strategic investment seeks to strengthen Namibia’s cold storage capabilities, allowing it to cope with growing demands for food services along the coastline. DP World’s effort underscores their commitment to improving trade effectiveness and promoting economic development in the area.
The newly established Seapride Foods Coastal has a storage capability of 720 pallets, which boosts the overall service capacity by 50%. Additionally, the construction of a new office building aims to further improve foodservice capabilities.
Bruce Denyer, who serves as the Executive Vice President of Market Access Consumer for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at DP World, stated that this investment is a component of the company's growth plan aimed at expanding their Market Access Consumer division along with other crucial capacities within Southern Africa.
"This investment underscores our belief in Namibia’s promising prospects, especially considering the area’s growing economy fueled by industries like tourism, mineral exports, shipping activities, petroleum exploration, and upcoming hydrogen fuel facilities," he noted.
Established in 1992, Seapride Foods Coastal has become a prominent local supplier, offering an extensive selection of meats, seafood, poultry, frozen goods, sweets, drinks, and speciality products to hotels, restaurants, caterers, and retailers across Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa.
In 2013, Seapride Food Coastal was acquired by Deep Catch Namibia Holdings, which is entirely owned by DP World. Since then, the company has seen significant expansion. This growth, however, introduced new operational hurdles, requiring an increase in storage capabilities.
Christoph Kubirske, the Managing Director of Deep Catch Holdings, highlighted the importance of a temperature-controlled facility by saying, "There has been an ongoing increase in demand for temperature-regulated spaces which exceeds our current capabilities. This necessitated additional eight refrigerated containers, thereby overburdening the local power grid."
"By leveraging the available space at ACCS to construct a new temperature-controlled facility, we have the opportunity to not just sustain but significantly enhance our service levels for customers as Seapride expands," Kubirske noted.
"Our newly established facility in Walvis Bay has been crafted to boost efficiency, ensure product quality, and increase production capabilities to address the rising needs of our clients. As we start this new phase, we express our thanks to our dedicated staff, loyal customers, and supportive partners who have played crucial roles throughout our journey," Denyer stated at the conclusion.