Namibia’s cargo movement decelerated in March 2025, with the Road Cargo Index dropping by 2.4% compared to a 0.1% uptick in February.
According to the Namibia Statistics Agency, road freight volumes were up 11.5% year-on-year.
“Sulphur of all kinds was the top commodity transported by road, reaching 28,529 tonnes. Petroleum oils followed closely at 27,650 tonnes, while maize (corn) came third with 22,563 tonnes. Combined, these three products accounted for over 78,000 tonnes of road cargo in March,” noted NSA.
The overall Transport Composite Cargo Index, which includes road, rail, air and sea freight, rose by 1.8% in March, slowing from a 5.0% gain in the previous month. Year-on-year, the composite index fell by 15.9%.
Air cargo saw the strongest monthly increase among all transport modes, rising by 22.1% after a 3.7% gain in February. However, compared to March 2024, air freight declined by 24.5%.
“The top air cargo was frozen fish fillets and meat at 39 tonnes, followed by medicaments at 20 tonnes and refractory cement at 18 tonnes,” said NSA.
Rail cargo volumes improved by 12.8% in March, reversing a 4.0% decline in February. Compared to the same month last year, rail freight increased by 22.0%.
“Building materials topped the list with 30,587 tonnes, ahead of bulk liquids at 23,871 tonnes and bulk fuel at 18,800 tonnes,” noted NSA.
Sea cargo activity expanded by just 2.7%, a significant drop from the 8.9% monthly growth seen in February.
Within this segment, the Sea Shipped Index surged by 46.9%, while the Sea Landed Index dropped by 12.2% and Sea Trans-shipped cargo plunged by 72.1%.
On an annual basis, all three categories saw double-digit declines, with trans-shipment down 90.8%.
