Namibia has not fully exploited the potential offered by trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the European Partnership, according to Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade Deputy Executive Director Michael Humavindu.
Humavindu highlighted the need for inclusive industrialisation, emphasising the importance of supporting both emerging and traditional sectors to create jobs and diversify the economy.
“Despite having market access through agreements like AGOA and the European Partnership, Namibia has not significantly diversified its exports, with only a few products like charcoal and cosmetics showing growth,” he said at a Nedbank discussion panel recently.
Humavindu argued that while there’s been a strong emphasis on selling products to the vast African market, there’s been a neglect of the equally important opportunity to source raw materials duty-free from other African nations.
He said leveraging this could significantly boost local production and exports.
“There needs to be a shift in how regional integration is viewed—moving from just selling products to utilising regional resources more effectively. This includes taking advantage of agreements like the tripartite free trade arrangement, which involves COMESA, SADC, and East Africa,” he said.
He noted that while Namibia’s trade within Africa is low (16%), global players are coming to the country to access its natural resources, such as minerals and diamonds.
“This highlights the need to create an efficient business environment, promote foreign direct investment (FDI), and upgrade Namibia’s industrial capabilities to better integrate into global value chains,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab acknowledged that Namibia has strong institutional, policy and legal frameworks, but is lacking in implementation.
“Our biggest challenge has always been implementation. In an election year, our focus as political leaders should be on fostering a culture of service delivery—one that instils confidence in the people regarding the political leaders they elect,” she said.
She called for constructive dialogue and support rather than constant criticism of government policies.
Dausab suggested, “that thought leaders should offer viable alternatives and solutions rather than merely criticising existing policies, to help the government better address the needs of the population”.
